History
The Kendall House was once home to Thomas Kendall, Jr., a machinist
who created a machine in 1820 that maintained uniformity in the degrees of
thermometers. Thomas Kendall, Jr. established that 32 degrees Fahrenheit was the freezing
point of water, and 212 degrees Fahrenheit was the boiling point of water. He
manufactured and sold these thermometers, and they were accepted by scientists
all over the world as a standard article.
Thomas Kendall, Jr., was the only son of Rev. Thomas Kendall to arrive to maturity. Rev. Thomas Kendall was born in Massachusets, and was a missionary to the Narraganset Indians as well as a chaplain in the Revolutionary War. It was in Millbury, Massachusetts where Thomas Kendall, Jr. was born. In 1820, he and his wife and children moved to New Lebanon, New York, and built a thermometer factory. Thomas Kendall, Jr. and his sons ran the Kendall factory together. While operating, this factory produced over 500 thermometers a day, and was the majority supplier of thermometers in the country during the 19th century. One of Thomas Kendall Jr.'s sons, John Kendall, inherited much of his father's mechanical genius, and took over the factory after his father's death. Thomas Kendall, Jr. died in 1831 at the age of 45.
The Kendall factory was the site of the invention of Aneroid Barometers in 1859. These barometers, which were devised by a French physicist named of G.D. Fahrenheit, were manufactured by the Kendall factory. In addition, the Kendall family invented the graduating numbers found on a thermometer making it the incredibly useful tool it is today.
Kendall thermometers can be found around the world today, mostly in antique shops and flea markets, and typically command a high price. The Kendall house continues to stand in New Lebanon, NY with a historical marker on its grounds, and is on the National Historical Registry.
The Kendalls were known for their honesty, character and positive
disposition. At the Kendall House of today, these qualities still ring true. Stop in and see for yourself!
