Place
St. Edward's Roman Catholic Church
A landmark church linked by local tradition to one of the earliest uses of incandescent lighting in worship.
St. Edward's became one of Shamokin's best-known Edison landmarks when it was connected to the three-wire incandescent system in 1883.
A Pioneering Installation
Local historical accounts have long described it as the first church in the world lighted by electricity. Because definitions and competing claims vary, the most reliable wording is that St. Edward's was a pioneering early church installation.
A Claim Told with Care
The stop shows how electric light moved beyond machinery, businesses, and homes into a large public worship space.
Why This Place Matters
The lights were reportedly turned on in September 1883. Local tradition calls it the world's first electrically lit church; the tour presents that as a historical claim, not an uncontested ranking. Wiring a church of this scale demonstrated that the system could serve major community buildings.
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Location
214 N Shamokin Street, Shamokin, PA