Can Long Island's Wardenclyffe Be Saved?

An article in today's New York Times tells the story of the buildings and land that were once the Nikola Tesla Laboratory in Shoreham. Tesla, born in Croatia to Serbian parents, was a scientific genius whose ideas have been described as far ahead of their time. In 1901, Tesla started work on a series of towers in Shoreham, with the vision of creating free electricity for people around the globe, as well as a world broadcasting system to relay the news and more through airwaves.

Tesla eventually sold his property, Wardenclyffe, when investors like J.P. Morgan discontinued funding for the huge project. Now, the remains of an 18-story tower's foundations, plus the laboratory designed by famed architect Stanford White, are boarded up in Shoreham.

A Long Island group, The Tesla Science Center, hopes to turn Wardenclyffe into a museum. But the Agfa Corporation, which currently owns the property, wants to sell it to help raise money during the current economic slow-down. Their broker said the land could be leveled if a future buyer desires. If this happens, it would destroy Tesla's only remaining buildings.

Want to help out? On Saturday, May 30th at 10 a.m., there will be a special event at Wardenclyffe. You can be part of a group photograph that will be sent to the National Trust for Historic Preservation to convince the organization that Wardenclyffe should be preserved. Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Laboratory is between Randall Road and Tesla Street, on Route 25A in Shoreham.

For more information on this historic property, go to the Tesla Science Center (formerly Friends of Science East.)