The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum

Built in the 1840’s, the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum was once the home of the inventor, Antonio Meucci and his wife Ester. They settled into their home in Staten Island after migrating from Havana in 1850. Meucci invented the smokeless candle, which became very popular by neighbors and churches. Antonio and his wife were kind people who would allow travelers to stay in their home. When Guiseppe Garibaldi was exiled from Italy in 1850, he came to live with the couple. When Garibaldi lived with Meucci, they became good friends and even worked together as candle makers to earn income. Garibaldi returned to Italy in 1854 where he led many battles that resulted in unifying Italy. He became known worldwide as the “Hero of Two Worlds.”

After Meucci’s s wife became disabled with arthritis, he built the teletrofono, so that he can speak to her while she was confined to her bedroom. Meucci had experimented with different forms of communicating through electric currents. Between 1850 and 1862, he developed numerous different prototypes. Unfortunately it was the lack of funding that kept his invention from the world. In 1872 Meucci and a friend had visited the president of the Western Union Telegraph about his invention. He handed all the paper work over to the company and was told they would advise him shortly. After waiting for 2 years, he was told that all of his information was lost. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell, an employee at Western Union Telegraph Company is granted the patent for the telephone. There was a trial, which went in favor of Bell due to lack of evidence.

In June of 2002, the U.S. Senate passed “House Resolution 269”, recognizing Antonio Meucci as the inventor of the telephone. In 1919, the house was turned over to the Order Sons of Italy in America where they restored and preserved the history. It was opened in 1956 as a museum which displays the history and many artifacts collected from Antonio Meucci and Guiseppe Garibaldi.

There are reports that the Museum is haunted with its past. Staff members and visitors have claimed to have experienced unexplained things. Some of the claims are of voices, shadows can be seen moving, cold spots throughout the house, strange sounds and smells.