Parked at Home 2024 | #5: Edison National Historical Park

Last night — Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. — was the fifth installment of the 2024 season of Parked at Home hosted by Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (BRVNHP). This webinar featured curator Beth Miller of Edison National Historical Park as a guest speaking about the work of Mina Edison, “Home Executive of Glenmont”.

Park Ranger Allison Horrocks began by describing the life of Betsey Fletcher Whitin, born April 1777 in Northbridge, MA. Her father, Colonel James Fletcher, built the community’s first iron forge along the Mumford River. He married Margaret Wood, the daughter of Colonel Ezra Wood, and inherited a “prime piece of real estate”. In 1793, when Betsey was sixteen years old, she married local blacksmith Paul Whitin, a partner at Fletcher’s Forge forger. Historians call this match “The smartest thing… Paul Whitin, Sr. could have ever done”. As “Cotton Mill Fever” hit the waterways of New England, Whitin and Fletcher established Northbridge Cotton Manufacturing Company, and Whitin later built red brick mill. Meanwhile, Betsey gave birth to ten children, eight of which survived to adulthood. The children were put to work in the mills but still received an education.

The family business changed when Paul Whitin died. Betsey knew she had to maintain the family brand by dividing the assets without tearing the family apart. Just before the American Civil War, Betsey gave mills to each of her four sons. John Crane received Whitin Machine Works. Charles P received Whitinsville Cotton Mill and the 1826 Brick Mill. James received the Crown & Eagle in Uxbridge and the Linwood Mill. Paul, Jr. received the Rockdale and Riverdale Mills. Betsey “held an active, controlling interest in the textile company” and her sons made weekly reports to her. After she died in 1868 at the age of 91, her children moved the family home and built a town hall on the site of the house in honor of her and Paul, Sr. Visitors to Whitinsville at this time described it as “One of the model villages of the world”.

Miller then gave her presentation on Mina Edison, who considered her mansion in West Orange, NJ to be her “Place of Business”. Her husband, Thomas Edison, was a businessman and inventor with 1,093, including a phonograph, batteries, and practical incandescent light bulb. He gave not yet twenty-one-year-old Mina the twenty-nine room, fully furnished mansion as a wedding gift and describe the estate as “Too good for him, but not half good enough for his wife.” He was clearly a good salesman.

Thomas incorporated his new inventions into their home, with phonographs in the living room, den, and servants” dining room. The home was filled with Edicraft Appliances, including waffle makers, toaster ovens, coffee and tea pots, and electric lighting. Poor Mina was initially overwhelmed by the responsibility of organizing menus, ordering groceries, budgeting, decorating, and cleaning. Additionally, the grounds of the house had farm animals and a greenhouse for growing vegetables, plus a large domestic staff to take care of it all. Mina wrote to her mother and sister Jenny for help but ultimately found advice from the Home Economist Movement more helpful.

At this time, housekeeping was rebranded as domestic science, and training programs were available. Mina’s father owned a summer camp called Chautauqua in upstate New York where he invited members of the movement to lecture on their theories. Bertha Terrill wrote a twelve-part book series on home economics as part of a correspondence course. She declared that “Housekeeping… is more than a trade… it is the director who must possess and exercise the power to guide…”

Mina used this advice to run her home, host events, raise children, and take care of her public responsibilities. She acted as the public relations representative and handler of her husband, fending off the paparazzi and scheduling his meetings. The mainstream press recognized her importance and published newspaper articles with headlines like Gracious Wife Made It Her ‘Job’ to Care for Greatest Inventor”. She popularized the idea that women should be considered “Home Executives” instead of housewives and that women should be paid for their work managing the house. As the head of the staff, she gave herself a $25 a week salary; only the cook made more at $30 a week.

Mina was prepared to debate her viewpoint with anyone, so the media set up a debate between her and Eleanor Roosevelt. In a highly publicized event, the pair talked about the future of women in society, asking “What is the modern woman’s place: the office or the home?” Mina believed that “the home has been the backbone of America” and women were responsible for making everything run smoothly and keep the country strong. Although Mina might not have been interested in women joining the workforce, she did have an equally sized desk in the office she shared with Thomas. They shared ideas and advice through writing notes in the margins of their many books in the family library, while Mina assisted Thomas with experiments.

Mina stayed at Glenmont after Thomas died in 1931 and even got remarried to a high school friend, Edward Everett Hughes, who she also outlived. Mina did not live in the house alone, allowing her former domestic worker Lucy Bogue to stay at the house after her own husband died. Lucy became a secretary for Mina and taught her how to cook. When Mina died in 1947, Lucy became the first curator of the home and collection, preserving the legacy of her employer and friend. Miller continues to fill this role, asking “Does it look like they just left?” whenever she walks into a room. Mina always wanted her home to become a museum. She hid her belongings in secret spaces so her children would not remove them from the house after her death. Her hidden treasures included a personal breakfast set with a note reading “Do not remove.” and a wedding dress in a secret compartment in the attic with a similar note.

Another special discovery was a box filled with horsehair and broken glass. This turned out to be the remains of a John La Farge firescreen. A glass repair expert and a woodworker collaborated to repair the piece, which now stands in the home as if never broken. Besides being a fastidious home manager, Mina loved animals and kept “a menagerie” at Glenmont. Pets included an alligator, other reptiles, a money, birds, and dogs. The Edison family birdbath was equipped with a heater so wild birds could bathe even in winter.

Miller had tips for visiting Glenmont. She recommending going in the spring or summer to enjoy the outside and the nearby private residential community originally constructed in the 1850s. The part has been rebranding Glenmont as “Mina Edison’s Place of Business” complete with matching signage and the pilot of a new house tour. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the talk and was impressed by Miller’s beautiful slides. I look forward to visiting Edison National Historical Park sometime in the future.

Read the summaries from Parked at Home 2024:

Read the summaries from Parked at Home 2023:

Search Abby Epplett, Historian

Abby Epplett, Historian

Parked at Home 2024 | #5: Edison National Historical Park