September 4, 1882Reputable sourceWell documented
Edison's Pearl Street Station
On the timeline · around September 4, 1882 ·
What happened
On 4 September 1882 Thomas Edison switched on his Pearl Street generating station in Lower Manhattan, one of the world's first central power stations. Its steam-driven dynamos sent electricity through underground wires to light incandescent lamps for customers across a district of the city.
Why it matters
By generating and distributing electric power as a public utility, Pearl Street pointed the way to the electrified cities, factories, and homes of the twentieth century.