With the success of the lab, add-ons were commissioned and a few years later, a machine shop, office, library, and boarding house for single employees became available. In 1879, he invented the bamboo filament on-site, which created the first successful incandescent lightbulb. Prior lightbulbs would only last a few minutes before burning out but Edison’s burned for 13.5 hours and following iterations lasted around 40 hours. That Christmas, Christie Street, where the lab is located, was the world’s first street to be lit by incandescent light bulbs. The next year, the bulbs were ready for mass production. After the 1882 spectacle where Edison successfully fitted an entire New York City office building with his light bulbs (powered by a central generator), he was catapulted to mass fame and wealth.

Today, the area where his factory stood is named after Edison and is one of the largest stops on the NJ Transit.