General Electric Research Laboratory
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nomadwillie
N 42° 48.586 W 073° 57.135
18T E 585663 N 4740222
General Electric Research Laboratory, the first industrial research facility in the United States, was started in 1900. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975.
Waymark Code: WM7X2G
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 12/16/2009
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Known in GE's enigmatic company jargon as "Building 37," this Schenectady, NY landmark has a highly unusual and superlative history that belies its mundane moniker. Not only was it GE's first building devoted to R&D, but also the 1925 building is cited in the National Register of Historic
Places as "the first truly industrial research facility in the United States." Within these four walls was born "scientific research on a systematic basis" -- the very research, in fact, that revolutionized American life through electric lighting, radio, and TV broadcasting.
But the superlatives don't end there. While touring the facility with David Bobear, manager of Facilities Engineering and Projects, and Clifford M. Barber, P.E., senior project engineer, one might casually learn that the building rests on what used to be the Erie Canal. Or they might offhandedly point out that the large structure to the south of Building 37 was one of the first made exclusively of concrete. (Thomas Edison, it turns out, was a big fan of concrete; he developed a scheme for building houses out of recycled excavation materials.) Or the two engineers might explain that GE's customer service teams frequently forego international travel and interface with customers via videoconferences. Amazing? No kidding. But at GE, it's all in a day's work. Literally.
The head-turning facts about Building 37 guided and augmented the modernization strategy. Part museum, part marketing venue, the "World Sales and Service Center" was envisioned as a complete service and operations facility for GE's Industrial and Power Systems business. The synergistic concept was ingenious: By revitalizing Building 37, this mighty business of GE could simultaneously reinforce its historical leadership in technology as well as its up-to-the-minute approach to fulfilling customer needs.
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