YOUTLDR

I should not have liked the world’s first smart home.

Tom Scott

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The world's first smart home, Cragside, was built in the 1870s. It featured hydroelectricity, central heating, electric lights, and even a hydraulic lift. Its owner, William Armstrong, was a wealthy industrialist and inventor, essentially a Victorian-era 'nerd'.

  • 💡 Cragside used hydroelectricity for power, including a turbine to run kitchen rotisseries.
  • 🔥 Central heating and incandescent electric lights were installed in 1884, ahead of their time.
  • 🛗 A hydraulic passenger lift was a marvel of Victorian engineering.
  • 💰 Armstrong made his fortune selling advanced weaponry, becoming an international arms dealer.

A split screen showing Tom Scott on the left and an aerial view of a large, historic mansion surrounded by trees on the right.