The Lawrence Park Origin Story

Thomas Edison’s inventive mind lit up the east coast in 1880 when Edison Electric flickered on in New Jersey. In 1892 it evolved into General Electric. GE.

By 1906, GE’s epic Schenectady HQ was already at capacity. GE sent Francis Pratt west to scout the location for the next GE plant.

While Buffalo and Cleveland were top of his list. Pratt stopped first in Erie to visit a friend from Yale, Matthew Griswold, Jr, the cast iron skillet heir.Griswold showed Pratt around town. Erie had a bustling port,  railroad access, a good labor climate and most importantly, land. An attractive parcel of 800 acres in east Millcreek caught their eye. The land to become Lawrence Park.

While the factory started taking shape, attention moved to building a community. Pioneering landscape architect John Nolen had a vision. He was a fan of the Garden City movement emerging in Europe. Housing would offer access to green spaces. His innovative plan included state of the art electric, plumbing, and central heat. The neighborhoods would feature tree-lined streets, sidewalks, and street lights.

The town would be called Lawrence Park, a tribute to Captain James Lawrence. Lawrence was a War of 1812 hero, famous for his naval battle command, “Don’t give up the ship!” Construction began in 1911. The first streets were named for famous scientists, inventors, and engineers. Rankine. Silliman. Smithson. Morse.