The second Mrs. Thomas Edison: Mina Miller’s 45-year reign at Glenmont

Mina Miller Edison’s Reign at Glenmont Estate

When twenty-year-old Mina Miller wed Thomas Edison in 1886, she got more than a famous husband. She got a job.

Edison wooed her with Morse code tapped on her palm, then bought a 23-room mansion in West Orange where Mina soon ran the show.

She stepped in as mom to his three kids from his first marriage, had three more of her own, and turned into a master host while Edison worked.

Kings, presidents, and famous folks like Henry Ford all came to visit. Meanwhile, Mina turned the grounds into a plant paradise.

The grand Glenmont estate at Thomas Edison National Historical Park still stands today, ready to show you how this young bride became the power behind the inventor’s home life.

Young Mina Moved Into a Mansion Fit for Royalty

Thomas Edison bought the 29-room Queen Anne mansion Glenmont in 1886 for $125,000. The former owner, Henry Pedder, built this fancy home with $300,000 he stole from Arnold Constable Company.

When caught, Constable made Pedder sell the house for $1 and leave the country. Edison thought the big estate was “too nice for me, but not nice enough for my little wife.”

The couple moved in after their February wedding when Mina was just twenty.

She Became Mom to Three Kids Overnight

Twenty-year-old Mina joined an instant family, becoming stepmom to Edison’s three children: Marion (12), Thomas Jr. (10), and William Leslie (8).

Things weren’t easy. Marion later said Mina was “too young to be a mother but too old to be a chum.”

Marion felt hurt since she had been her father’s close companion after her mother died. Their relationship got so bad that Marion went to boarding school, creating a rift that lasted decades.

Mina Started Her Own Branch of the Edison Family Tree

Between 1888 and 1898, Mina and Thomas added three more children: Madeleine (1888), Charles (1890), and Theodore (1898). Madeleine was the first child born at Glenmont.

The children from this second marriage lived very different lives than their older half-siblings. Mina sent her daughter Madeleine to Bryn Mawr College for two years, something few women did back then.

She shaped her biological children’s lives in ways the older Edison kids never knew.

The Estate Got a New Boss Who Wasn’t Thomas

Mina grew into her role as “home executive,” taking charge of the huge estate. She hired and managed maids, cooks, nannies, and gardeners.

Thomas spent long hours at his lab, often missing family events and forgetting anniversaries and birthdays. After 1891, Mina legally owned Glenmont, keeping it safe if Edison’s business deals failed.

Her skills turned the house into both a cozy home and a showplace for Edison’s growing fame.

Presidents and Kings Ate at Her Dinner Table

The young Mrs. Edison handled her husband’s busy social life and hosted many VIPs at Glenmont.

Future presidents Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover ate at her table before reaching the White House. Even kings came to visit, with the kings of Sweden and Siam among her special guests.

Mina’s education from her Chautauqua background helped her entertain American and world leaders on behalf of her famous husband.

Famous Faces Filled the Guest Rooms at Glenmont

Nature lovers John Burroughs and John Muir stayed at the Edison estate.

Teacher Maria Montessori, General John Pershing, and Helen Keller all visited the West Orange mansion. Business leaders Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and George Eastman became regular guests and close friends.

Flying heroes Orville Wright and Charles Lindbergh brought stories of their air trips to the Edison dinner table. Mina handled these big-name visits with ease despite her young age.

The Grounds Transformed Under Her Green Thumb

Mina grew into a keen nature lover and bird watcher, turning Glenmont’s 13 acres into a plant showcase. She added trees and shrubs from around the world throughout the estate.

The greenhouse she built still stands today, housing plants from Edison’s time.

Her friendship with nature writer John Burroughs grew her love of nature, and she became active in the early conservation movement, using Glenmont as a living lab for her environmental interests.

Two Sets of Edison Kids Lived Very Different Lives

The children from Edison’s first marriage had a harder time than their younger half-siblings. Marion and Mina clashed for decades.

Neither Thomas Jr. nor William Leslie wanted to follow their father’s science path, and both fought against Mina’s cultural influence at home.

None of Edison’s first three children went to college, partly because their self-taught father didn’t value school learning. Meanwhile, Mina gave her biological children better school options and more parental guidance.

Her Influence Spread Far Beyond the Estate Walls

Mina joined many groups including the Chautauqua Association, National Audubon Society, and Daughters of the American Revolution. She led the Bird and Tree Club and served as national chaplain for the DAR.

At their winter home in Fort Myers, Florida, she created the Fort Myers Round Table to bring local leaders together to help the community.

She gave talks about garden clubs, neighborhood groups, recreation in education, and music teaching across the country.

Thomas Spent His Final Years in Her Care

Edison lived at Glenmont for 44 years until he died on October 18, 1931. Both Thomas and Mina would die at Glenmont, him in 1931 and her in 1947.

They were buried on the property in a Japanese-style garden area they both loved.

After Thomas died, Mina worked with their daughter Madeleine to save Edison’s birthplace in Milan, Ohio as a museum, making sure people would remember him for years to come.

The Lady of Glenmont Left Her Own Mark on History

Four years after Edison’s death, Mina married Edward Everett Hughes in 1935. When Hughes died in 1940, she returned to using the name Mrs. Edison, clearly identifying with her role as the inventor’s widow.

She lived at Glenmont until she died on August 24, 1947.

Throughout her life, Mina broke traditional gender boundaries in a graceful way, creating a lasting impact through social reform, urban landscape development, and environmental activism that extended well beyond her role as Edison’s wife.

Visiting Thomas Edison National Historical Park, New Jersey

You can explore Mina Miller Edison’s remarkable journey from young bride to accomplished estate manager at Thomas Edison National Historical Park on 211 Main Street in West Orange.

The $15 entrance fee (plus $1 for Glenmont tours) gets you access to 30-minute weekend mansion tours featuring 29 rooms with original Edison family furnishings. Book tickets online at Recreation.

gov up to seven days ahead, and start at the Laboratory Complex Visitor Center for your Glenmont grounds pass.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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