This folder contains correspondence relating to the widely publicized development of Edison's poured concrete house. Most of the letters are unsolicited requests for information concerning the house and its expected date of availability. Many items contain Edison marginalia indicating that he had not completed the molds for the house and that a prepared circular should be sent in response. A representative sample of these letters has been selected. Additional comments by Edison pertain to the technical specifications of concrete house construction or appropriate builders other than himself. Also included is correspondence with Yamatake & Co. of Tokyo and others regarding the development of fireproof building methods in Japan. Some of the letters were written by individuals who visited Edison's laboratory in West Orange, including members of the New York architectural firm of Mann & MacNeille and Edmund Graefe of Dresden.
Less than 10 percent of the documents have been selected. With the exception of a few samples, unsolicited inquiries have not been selected. Courtesy of Thomas Edison National Historical Park.