A few years ago, Nikola Tesla was a name more familiar with history and science buffs and locals who know of the his lab Wardenclyffe in Shoreham. Now, the Tesla name has blown up, as tshirts and bumper stickers have become popular, along with the bashing of Thomas Edison, known as his greatest rival.
There is a movie in the works about his life entitled Fragments of Olympus, and there have even been rumors of Christian Bale starring as Tesla in another film. Efforts by local nonprofit Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe to purchase the Tesla property in Shoreham and build a museum in his name recently took off after web comic creator The Oatmeal, a known Tesla fan who created a comic [warning: foul language] about him that started it all, began a fundraiser on indiegogo.com.
The fundraiser, has a goal of $850,000. The property is listed at $1.6 million, and the Shoreham non-profit has received a matching grant from New York State of up to $850,000. If the fundraiser reaches $850,000, the total with the matching grant would be $1.7 million, enough to purchase the property.
Patch first mentioned the fundraiser on Thursday when funds were just over $450,000. As of Monday morning, they are up to $716,617 and it looks as though the goal with be reached this week. New incentives for donating have been added as well, and all are multiples of Tesla's favorite number, three. A $33 donation gets you a "Tesla>Edison" bumper sticker, $333 gets a signed copy of the Tesla comic, $3,333 gets a self portrait comic drawn by The Oatmeal and $33,333 gets you a feature on his website.
The have also committed to donating $1 million, a quarter of their movie budget, in order to help preserve the property as well.
Patch wants to know, do you want a Tesla museum in Shoreham? Should the property be preserved and a museum built in his name, or would you prefer to see something else done to the property? Vote in our poll and tell us more in the comments section below.
