▁experiment ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁by ▁casting ▁a ▁gar age ▁and ▁a ▁gard ener ' s ▁c ott age ▁at ▁his ▁m ansion ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁ ▁He ▁decided ▁to ▁don ate ▁the ▁pat ented ▁information ▁to ▁qualified ▁build ers ▁rather ▁than ▁charge ▁for ▁it , ▁generating ▁significant ▁public ity ▁in ▁the ▁process . ▁ ▁Phil anth rop ist ▁Henry ▁Ph ipp s , ▁Jr . ▁saw ▁the ▁potential ▁of ▁these ▁afford able ▁houses ▁and ▁considered ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁solution ▁to ▁New ▁York ' s ▁housing ▁short age . ▁▁▁ ▁He ▁had ▁already ▁inv ested ▁$ 1 ▁million ▁into ▁afford able ▁housing ▁projects ▁by ▁setting ▁up ▁Ph ipp s ▁H ouses , ▁an ▁organization ▁that ▁continues ▁to ▁this ▁day . ▁ ▁Ph ipp s ▁declared ▁his ▁intention ▁to ▁build ▁an ▁entire ▁city ▁for ▁working - class ▁families ▁using ▁the ▁concrete ▁casting ▁technique ▁but ▁Ed ison ▁was ▁never ▁able ▁to ▁provide ▁the ▁plans . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁difficulties ▁facing ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁its ▁complexity . ▁ ▁Each ▁house ▁would ▁be ▁constructed ▁using ▁a ▁m old ▁that ▁compr ised ▁ 2 , 3 0 0 ▁pieces , ▁and ▁the ▁cost ▁to ▁a ▁builder ▁purch asing ▁the ▁m olds ▁was ▁excess ive . ▁ ▁Non eth eless , ▁some ▁houses ▁were ▁built ▁when ▁invest or ▁Charles ▁In gers oll ▁fin anced ▁Frank ▁Lamb ie ' s ▁plans . ▁ ▁Lamb ie ▁constructed ▁several ▁concrete ▁houses ▁in ▁Union , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁where ▁they ▁are ▁currently ▁still ▁in ▁use .