Holborn Viaduct power station begins operation in London

Background. The City of London is a historic centre and local government district in England. The Holborn Viaduct project was preceded by an electricity supply from a water wheel in Godalming, Surrey, which was the world's first public electricity supply. In 1878, the City of London Corporation installed electric arc lamps over the viaduct, but this experiment was discontinued within six months, returning the bridge to gas lighting.

Infrastructure and Legal Context. Edison's associate Edward Hibberd Johnson discovered existing culverts on the Holborn Viaduct that allowed for electrical cables to be laid, as digging the street was the sole prerogative of the gas companies. The power station was built at number 57 Holborn Viaduct in central London by Thomas Edison's Edison Electric Light Company.

Operation and Supply. The plant began running on 12 January 1882, three years after the invention of the carbon-filament incandescent light bulb. It was the world's first coal-fired power station generating electricity for public use. The station also provided electricity for private residences, which may have included nearby Ely Place.