George Henry Corliss
Encyclopedia
George Henry Corliss (June 2, 1817 – February 21, 1888) was an American
mechanical engineer and inventor, who developed the Corliss steam engine
, which was a great improvement over any other stationary steam engine
of its time. The Corliss engine is widely considered one of the more notable engineering achievements of the 19th century. It provided a reliable, efficient source of industrial power, enabling the expansion of new factories to areas which did not readily possess reliable or abundant water power. Corliss gained international acclaim for his achievements during the late 19th century and is perhaps best known for the Centennial Engine, which was the huge centerpiece of the 1876 Centennial Exposition
in Philadelphia.
, near the Vermont
border. The son of a physician, he attended local schools until age 14, when he began working in a general store in the town of Greenwich, New York
. In 1834 he entered the academy at Castleton, Vermont
and graduated in 1838.
Corliss displayed early signs of his mechanical abilities in 1837, after a flood washed away a bridge over the Batten Kill
in Greenwich. He organized other local builders in erection of a replacement structure. After graduating from Castleton in 1838, he established his own general store in town of Greenwich
where he remained for three years. In January 1839 he married Phebe F. Frost, a native of Canterbury, Connecticut
. Together they had two children, Maria Louisa and George Frost.
During this time he became more interested in mechanical endeavors. Around 1841, Corliss decided to give his whole attention to these new tasks. In 1842, Corliss obtained a patent on a machine for sewing boots, shoes and heavy leather.
Corliss moved to Providence, Rhode Island
in 1844 with hopes of finding funding to perfect his sewing machine. In Providence, he found work in the shop of Fairbanks, Bancroft & Company as a draftsman. However, he soon abandoned work on sewing machines to focus on a new endeavor, the improvement of the stationary steam engine
, which at the time was generally regarded as a rather innefficient or supplemental alternative to water power.
of years later. Corliss and his associates erected a new factory at the junction of Charles Street and the railroad in Providence
, where the company would expand greatly in the years to follow. By the time of George's death in 1888, the floor space within the plant would cover about five acres, and the company would emloy over 1,000 people.
On March 10, 1849, Corliss was granted US Patent #6162 for his valve gear
. In 1856 the Corliss Steam Engine Company was incorporated with George Corliss as president, and his younger brother, William, as treasurer. William Corliss would go on to develop the Corliss Safe, and form the Corliss Safe Manufacturing Company in Providence.
By 1859, Corliss engines were being exported to Scotland
for use in cotton mills. By 1864, valves for the engines were being made at Bolton, England. Corliss directed both the business and research sides of this company, and over the years invented many assembly line improvements such as a bevel-gear cutter. Europe eventually became a great purchaser of the Corliss engine and it was copied by the engine builders who placed upon their imitations the name of the American builder.
The dramatic fuel efficiency of the Corliss engine was a major selling point to manufacturers, particularly during the early years. Similar to other engine makers of the day, the Corliss Steam Engine Company often negotiated the selling price of their machines on the projected savings in coal.
Corliss' first wife Phebe died on March 5, 1859. In December, 1866, he married Emily A. Shaw, of Newburyport, Massachusetts
The Corliss Steam Engine Company supplied the United States
Government with machinery during the Civil War
. When the USS Monitor
was being constructed in 1861 it was found that a large ring must be made, upon which the turret of the Monitor could revolve, and the Corliss Engine Works was found to be one of the very few plants in the country that had the necessary machinery large enough to 'turn' up the large ring. When Corliss found out what the work was for, he put aside other work, worked his plant day and night to get this important ring completed, which was done on time, sent to New York, to be placed on the Monitor, which later meet with the Merrimac
in the historic Battle of Hampton Roads
.
By the late 1860s, Corliss began to be recognized internationally for his accomplishments. At the 1867 World's Exposition
held at Paris
, he won the first prize in a competition of the one hundred most famous engine builders in the world. One of its commissioners to the exposition, John Scott Russell
, the famed British
designer of the huge steamship Great Eastern
proclaimed of the Corliss valve gear
: "A mechanism as beautiful as the human hand. It releases or retains its grasp on the feeding valve, and gives a greater or less dose of steam in nice proportion to each varying want. The American engine of Corliss everywhere tells of wise forethought, judicious proportions and execution and exquisite contrivance."
On January 11, 1870, just one hundred years after James Watt
had patented his first steam engine, Corliss was awarded the Rumford Prize
by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
. It was upon this occasion that Dr. Asa Gray
, the resident of the academy, remarked that "No invention since Watt's time has so enhanced the efficiency of the steam engine as this for which the Rumford medal is now presented."
appointed Corliss its commissioner to take charge of the Centennial Exposition
at Philadelphia, and he was chosen one of the executive committee appointed to look after the preliminaries. Upon the great task of arranging the exposition, he worked with his usual indefatigable energy and it was his suggestion that the Centennial Board of Finance be organized, a body which had no little to do with the insurance of the financial success of the exhibition.
It was also in his own department as engineer that Corliss contributed largely to the success of the great fair, and it was he that supplied, after the plans of all other competitors proved inadequate, the great fourteen hundred horsepower
engine which supplied the power used in Machinery Hall.
This engine, unequaled in size at that time, was installed by Corliss at a cost of one hundred thousand dollars to himself and without additional expenditure to the exposition. The great engine was afterwards used to operate the Pullman Car Works
at Chicago
until 1910, when it was sold for scrap.
as the Representative from North Providence
, his term of service including the three years 1868-69-70. In 1876 he was chosen presidential elector, casting his vote for President Hayes
. In the matter of his religious belief he was a Congregationalist, and attended the Charles Street Church in Providence from the time of its organization. He was keenly interested in the cause of religion and gave liberally both to his own and to other churches.
Corliss' 1849 patent expired in 1870 after it was extended by U.S. Patent reissue 200 on May 13, 1851 and U.S. Patent reissues 758 and 763 on July 12, 1859. After 1870, numerous other companies began to manufacture Corliss engines. Among them, the William A. Harris Steam Engine Company http://www.newsm.org/steam-engines/harris-steam-engine-co.html, the Worthington Pump and Machinery Company, and Allis-Chalmers
. In general, these machines were referred to as "Corliss" engines regardless of who made them. The "Corliss-type" engine became particularly popular in Europe. Amusingly, Corliss received the Grand Diploma of Honor by the Vienna Exposition
at Vienna
in 1873, although he was not even an exhibitor.
Another honor, perhaps the greatest of all was given to him by the Institute of France
by public proclamation, March 10, 1879, of the Montyon prize
for the year 1878, the most coveted prize for mechanical achievement awarded in Europe. He received this honor by a peculiar coincidence, on the thirtieth anniversary of the granting of his first patent. In 1886, the King of Belgium made Corliss and officer in the Order of Leopold.
Despite the competition, Corliss would continue to remain active within his company, directing changes to his basic design as market or customer needs dictated.
Corliss died on February 21, 1888 at the age of 70. He is buried at Swan Point Cemetery
in Providence
, with his second wife Emily.
The Corliss Steam Engine Company was purchased by the International Power Company in 1900. In 1905 it was purchased by the American and British Manufacturing Company. In 1925 the company merged into Franklin Machine Company.
The house he built in 1875 on the east side of Providence
, now known as the Corliss-Brackett House, and is part of Brown University
. Corliss Street in Providence, located near the former site of the Corliss factory is also named in his honor, as is Corliss High School
in Chicago, Illinois.
Corliss was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
in 2006.
Americans
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
mechanical engineer and inventor, who developed the Corliss steam engine
Corliss Steam Engine
A Corliss steam engine is a steam engine, fitted with rotary valves and with variable valve timing patented in 1849, invented by and named after the American engineer George Henry Corliss in Providence, Rhode Island....
, which was a great improvement over any other stationary steam engine
Stationary steam engine
Stationary steam engines are fixed steam engines used for pumping or driving mills and factories, and for power generation. They are distinct from locomotive engines used on railways, traction engines for heavy steam haulage on roads, steam cars , agricultural engines used for ploughing or...
of its time. The Corliss engine is widely considered one of the more notable engineering achievements of the 19th century. It provided a reliable, efficient source of industrial power, enabling the expansion of new factories to areas which did not readily possess reliable or abundant water power. Corliss gained international acclaim for his achievements during the late 19th century and is perhaps best known for the Centennial Engine, which was the huge centerpiece of the 1876 Centennial Exposition
Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially...
in Philadelphia.
Early life
George Henry Corliss was born June 2, 1817, the second child of Dr. Hiram and Susan (Sheldon) Corliss, at Easton, New YorkEaston, New York
Easton is a town in southwestern Washington County, New York, United States along the county's western boundary. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 2,259 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Easton, Connecticut...
, near the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
border. The son of a physician, he attended local schools until age 14, when he began working in a general store in the town of Greenwich, New York
Greenwich (town), New York
Greenwich is a town in the southwest part of Washington County, New York, United States. The town is located on the west border of the county. The population was 4,896 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In 1834 he entered the academy at Castleton, Vermont
Castleton, Vermont
Castleton is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. Castleton is about to the west of Rutland, and about east of the New York/Vermont state border. The town had a population of 4,717 at the 2010 census. Castleton State College is located there, with roots dating to 1787...
and graduated in 1838.
Corliss displayed early signs of his mechanical abilities in 1837, after a flood washed away a bridge over the Batten Kill
Batten Kill
The Batten Kill, or Battenkill, or the Battenkill River, is a river rising in Vermont that flows into New York and is a tributary of the Hudson River....
in Greenwich. He organized other local builders in erection of a replacement structure. After graduating from Castleton in 1838, he established his own general store in town of Greenwich
Greenwich (town), New York
Greenwich is a town in the southwest part of Washington County, New York, United States. The town is located on the west border of the county. The population was 4,896 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
where he remained for three years. In January 1839 he married Phebe F. Frost, a native of Canterbury, Connecticut
Canterbury, Connecticut
Canterbury is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,692 at the 2000 census.-History:The area was first settled in the 1680s as Peagscomsuck, consisting mainly of land north of Norwich, south of New Roxbury, Massachusetts and west of the Quinebaug River and the...
. Together they had two children, Maria Louisa and George Frost.
During this time he became more interested in mechanical endeavors. Around 1841, Corliss decided to give his whole attention to these new tasks. In 1842, Corliss obtained a patent on a machine for sewing boots, shoes and heavy leather.
Corliss moved to Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
in 1844 with hopes of finding funding to perfect his sewing machine. In Providence, he found work in the shop of Fairbanks, Bancroft & Company as a draftsman. However, he soon abandoned work on sewing machines to focus on a new endeavor, the improvement of the stationary steam engine
Stationary steam engine
Stationary steam engines are fixed steam engines used for pumping or driving mills and factories, and for power generation. They are distinct from locomotive engines used on railways, traction engines for heavy steam haulage on roads, steam cars , agricultural engines used for ploughing or...
, which at the time was generally regarded as a rather innefficient or supplemental alternative to water power.
Career
In 1848 Corliss entered into a partnership with John Barstow and E.J. Nightingale under the name Corliss, Nightingale & Company. During the same year, the company built the first engine utilizing George's improvements, which except for various technical improvements later on, was essentially the Corliss steam engineCorliss Steam Engine
A Corliss steam engine is a steam engine, fitted with rotary valves and with variable valve timing patented in 1849, invented by and named after the American engineer George Henry Corliss in Providence, Rhode Island....
of years later. Corliss and his associates erected a new factory at the junction of Charles Street and the railroad in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, where the company would expand greatly in the years to follow. By the time of George's death in 1888, the floor space within the plant would cover about five acres, and the company would emloy over 1,000 people.
On March 10, 1849, Corliss was granted US Patent #6162 for his valve gear
Valve gear
The valve gear of a steam engine is the mechanism that operates the inlet and exhaust valves to admit steam into the cylinder and allow exhaust steam to escape, respectively, at the correct points in the cycle...
. In 1856 the Corliss Steam Engine Company was incorporated with George Corliss as president, and his younger brother, William, as treasurer. William Corliss would go on to develop the Corliss Safe, and form the Corliss Safe Manufacturing Company in Providence.
By 1859, Corliss engines were being exported to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
for use in cotton mills. By 1864, valves for the engines were being made at Bolton, England. Corliss directed both the business and research sides of this company, and over the years invented many assembly line improvements such as a bevel-gear cutter. Europe eventually became a great purchaser of the Corliss engine and it was copied by the engine builders who placed upon their imitations the name of the American builder.
The dramatic fuel efficiency of the Corliss engine was a major selling point to manufacturers, particularly during the early years. Similar to other engine makers of the day, the Corliss Steam Engine Company often negotiated the selling price of their machines on the projected savings in coal.
Corliss' first wife Phebe died on March 5, 1859. In December, 1866, he married Emily A. Shaw, of Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
The Corliss Steam Engine Company supplied the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Government with machinery during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. When the USS Monitor
USS Monitor
USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads...
was being constructed in 1861 it was found that a large ring must be made, upon which the turret of the Monitor could revolve, and the Corliss Engine Works was found to be one of the very few plants in the country that had the necessary machinery large enough to 'turn' up the large ring. When Corliss found out what the work was for, he put aside other work, worked his plant day and night to get this important ring completed, which was done on time, sent to New York, to be placed on the Monitor, which later meet with the Merrimac
CSS Virginia
CSS Virginia was the first steam-powered ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy, built during the first year of the American Civil War; she was constructed as a casemate ironclad using the raised and cut down original lower hull and steam engines of the scuttled . Virginia was one of the...
in the historic Battle of Hampton Roads
Battle of Hampton Roads
The Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as either the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack or the Battle of Ironclads, was the most noted and arguably most important naval battle of the American Civil War from the standpoint of the development of navies...
.
By the late 1860s, Corliss began to be recognized internationally for his accomplishments. At the 1867 World's Exposition
Exposition Universelle (1867)
The Exposition Universelle of 1867 was a World Exposition held in Paris, France, in 1867.-Conception:In 1864, Emperor Napoleon III decreed that an international exposition should be held in Paris in 1867. A commission was appointed with Prince Jerome Napoleon as president, under whose direction...
held at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, he won the first prize in a competition of the one hundred most famous engine builders in the world. One of its commissioners to the exposition, John Scott Russell
John Scott Russell
John Scott Russell was a Scottish naval engineer who built the Great Eastern in collaboration with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and made the discovery that gave birth to the modern study of solitons.-Personal life:John Scott Russell was born John Russell on 9 May 1808 in Parkhead, Glasgow, the son of...
, the famed British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
designer of the huge steamship Great Eastern
SS Great Eastern
SS Great Eastern was an iron sailing steam ship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and built by J. Scott Russell & Co. at Millwall on the River Thames, London. She was by far the largest ship ever built at the time of her 1858 launch, and had the capacity to carry 4,000 passengers around the...
proclaimed of the Corliss valve gear
Valve gear
The valve gear of a steam engine is the mechanism that operates the inlet and exhaust valves to admit steam into the cylinder and allow exhaust steam to escape, respectively, at the correct points in the cycle...
: "A mechanism as beautiful as the human hand. It releases or retains its grasp on the feeding valve, and gives a greater or less dose of steam in nice proportion to each varying want. The American engine of Corliss everywhere tells of wise forethought, judicious proportions and execution and exquisite contrivance."
On January 11, 1870, just one hundred years after James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
had patented his first steam engine, Corliss was awarded the Rumford Prize
Rumford Prize
Founded in 1796, the Rumford Prize, awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, is one of the oldest scientific prizes in the United States. The prize recognizes contributions by scientists to the fields of heat and light...
by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
. It was upon this occasion that Dr. Asa Gray
Asa Gray
-References:*Asa Gray. Dictionary of American Biography. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928–1936.*Asa Gray. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.*Asa Gray. Plant Sciences. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2001....
, the resident of the academy, remarked that "No invention since Watt's time has so enhanced the efficiency of the steam engine as this for which the Rumford medal is now presented."
Centennial Exposition
In 1872 the State of Rhode IslandRhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
appointed Corliss its commissioner to take charge of the Centennial Exposition
Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially...
at Philadelphia, and he was chosen one of the executive committee appointed to look after the preliminaries. Upon the great task of arranging the exposition, he worked with his usual indefatigable energy and it was his suggestion that the Centennial Board of Finance be organized, a body which had no little to do with the insurance of the financial success of the exhibition.
It was also in his own department as engineer that Corliss contributed largely to the success of the great fair, and it was he that supplied, after the plans of all other competitors proved inadequate, the great fourteen hundred horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
engine which supplied the power used in Machinery Hall.
This engine, unequaled in size at that time, was installed by Corliss at a cost of one hundred thousand dollars to himself and without additional expenditure to the exposition. The great engine was afterwards used to operate the Pullman Car Works
Pullman Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
at Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
until 1910, when it was sold for scrap.
Late career and legacy
Corliss was also active within the community. He was elected three consecutive times to the Rhode Island General AssemblyRhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
as the Representative from North Providence
North Providence, Rhode Island
North Providence is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 32,078 at the 2010 census.The town has the distinction of being the smallest by area in the smallest state . Though at only , the city of Central Falls is Rhode Island's smallest municipality...
, his term of service including the three years 1868-69-70. In 1876 he was chosen presidential elector, casting his vote for President Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
. In the matter of his religious belief he was a Congregationalist, and attended the Charles Street Church in Providence from the time of its organization. He was keenly interested in the cause of religion and gave liberally both to his own and to other churches.
Corliss' 1849 patent expired in 1870 after it was extended by U.S. Patent reissue 200 on May 13, 1851 and U.S. Patent reissues 758 and 763 on July 12, 1859. After 1870, numerous other companies began to manufacture Corliss engines. Among them, the William A. Harris Steam Engine Company http://www.newsm.org/steam-engines/harris-steam-engine-co.html, the Worthington Pump and Machinery Company, and Allis-Chalmers
Allis-Chalmers
The Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. of West Allis, Wisconsin, is an American company known for its past as a manufacturer with diverse interests, perhaps most famous for their bright Persian Orange farm tractors...
. In general, these machines were referred to as "Corliss" engines regardless of who made them. The "Corliss-type" engine became particularly popular in Europe. Amusingly, Corliss received the Grand Diploma of Honor by the Vienna Exposition
Weltausstellung 1873 Wien
]The Weltausstellung 1873 Wien was the large World exposition was held in 1873 in the Austria–Hungarian capital of Vienna. Its motto was Kultur und Erziehung ....
at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1873, although he was not even an exhibitor.
Another honor, perhaps the greatest of all was given to him by the Institute of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by public proclamation, March 10, 1879, of the Montyon prize
Montyon Prizes
Montyon Prizes are a series of prizes awarded annually by the Académie Française. They were endowed by the French benefactor Baron de Montyon....
for the year 1878, the most coveted prize for mechanical achievement awarded in Europe. He received this honor by a peculiar coincidence, on the thirtieth anniversary of the granting of his first patent. In 1886, the King of Belgium made Corliss and officer in the Order of Leopold.
Despite the competition, Corliss would continue to remain active within his company, directing changes to his basic design as market or customer needs dictated.
Corliss died on February 21, 1888 at the age of 70. He is buried at Swan Point Cemetery
Swan Point Cemetery
Swan Point Cemetery is a cemetery located in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. Established in 1846 on a 60 acre plot of land. It has approximately 40,000 interments.- History :...
in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, with his second wife Emily.
The Corliss Steam Engine Company was purchased by the International Power Company in 1900. In 1905 it was purchased by the American and British Manufacturing Company. In 1925 the company merged into Franklin Machine Company.
The house he built in 1875 on the east side of Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, now known as the Corliss-Brackett House, and is part of Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. Corliss Street in Providence, located near the former site of the Corliss factory is also named in his honor, as is Corliss High School
Corliss High School
George Henry Corliss High School is a public 4-year high school located in Pullman neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is part of the Chicago Public Schools. The school is named in the honor of engineer George Henry Corliss. The school's sports teams are nicknamed the Trojans...
in Chicago, Illinois.
Corliss was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging invention and creativity through the administration of its programs. The Hall of Fame honors the men and women responsible for the great technological advances that make human,...
in 2006.