The 1930s “Smart Home” That Predicted the Future of Automation

When most people think of smart homes, they imagine sleek touchscreens, voice-controlled lighting, and AI-powered security systems. But what if I told you that a century ago, a visionary inventor was already building something remarkably similar? In early 2025, the History Channel’s “American Pickers” unveiled a stunning discovery: a 1930s home in Caro, Michigan, that could easily be called the world’s first smart home.

Dubbed the “wizard’s castle” by the show’s hosts, this extraordinary residence was once owned by W.J. Moore, a telecommunications pioneer who founded the Moore Telephone Manufacturing Company and Moore Telephone System in the late 1800s. What makes this house truly remarkable isn’t just its age—it’s the fact that it contains features we’d recognize as smart home technology today.

A Visionary Ahead of His Time

Moore wasn’t just building a house; he was creating a living laboratory. The home features hardwiring throughout that controlled everything from door locks to lighting—essentially the earliest known version of smart lights and remotely controllable locks. While he couldn’t use voice commands or smartphone apps (because they didn’t exist yet), he created an elaborate control panel that functioned much like today’s smart home hubs.

The control system was remarkably sophisticated for its era. Moore organized the home into zones with names like “south hall,” allowing him to control only connected devices in specific areas. He even left behind typed instructions detailing how everything worked, providing us with a fascinating window into his thinking.

Early Automation That Rivals Modern Tech

The home’s automation features are nothing short of astonishing. The carriage house, which served as Moore’s workshop, features a pulley system that functions like an early automatic garage door opener. Another pulley system was set up for a zipline that hung over the backyard pool, allowing Moore to drop in from a model plane—a whimsical touch that shows he wasn’t just practical but also playful in his designs.

Perhaps most impressively, Moore created a self-made alarm system that rivals modern smart security systems. This ingenious setup could lock doors, turn on lights, and even contact emergency services through his phone line in case of a break-in. No monthly fees or subscriptions required—just pure innovation.

The control panel also featured light indicators that advised of the status of water pumps, serving as an early version of push notifications and mobile warning alerts. Similar indicator lights were placed throughout the home, like by the fireplace, so Moore would know when a door was open. In essence, he had his own version of a Ring video doorbell or smart lock app, but in the form of physical, illuminating buttons.

The Control Panel: A Century-Old Smart Hub

The centerpiece of Moore’s smart home was undoubtedly his control panel. This elaborate setup allowed him to manage his entire home from a single location, much like modern smart displays or tablets. Today, we use devices like the Amazon Echo Hub, Google Pixel Tablet, or Apple iPad as portals to control our smart home devices. Moore achieved the same goal—getting tasks done with a simple button push—but with 1930s technology.

What’s particularly fascinating is how Moore’s thinking mirrors our own. He understood the value of centralized control, zone-based management, and real-time status indicators. These concepts, which we consider cutting-edge today, were already being implemented nearly a century ago.

Why This Discovery Matters

This 1930s smart home isn’t just a curiosity—it’s a powerful reminder that innovation doesn’t always come from the latest technology. Moore’s work demonstrates that the fundamental ideas behind smart homes—automation, remote control, security monitoring—have been around much longer than we typically acknowledge.

The technology may pale in comparison to today’s AI-driven systems, but in its time, it would have been just as groundbreaking. It challenges our assumptions about technological progress and reminds us that true innovation often comes from seeing possibilities before the tools to realize them exist.

Preservation and Legacy

While the gadgets and gizmos in the house are no longer functional, preservation efforts are underway to restore it to its original state. This isn’t just about saving an old house—it’s about preserving a crucial piece of technological history that could inspire future innovations.

The discovery has sparked renewed interest in the history of home automation and raises intriguing questions about what other forgotten innovations might be waiting to be rediscovered. Could there be other “smart homes” from the early 20th century that we don’t know about yet?

Watch and Learn

You can see this remarkable piece of history for yourself in “American Pickers” Season 23, Episode 19, available on the History Channel or YouTube. Watching the segment, you can’t help but marvel at how someone in the 1930s could conceptualize and build something so advanced.

This discovery serves as a powerful reminder that innovation isn’t just about having the latest technology—it’s about having the vision to see what’s possible, even when the tools to achieve it don’t yet exist. W.J. Moore was a true pioneer, and his “wizard’s castle” stands as a testament to human ingenuity and the timeless desire to make our living spaces smarter, safer, and more efficient.

As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in home automation, perhaps we should look back at pioneers like Moore for inspiration. After all, if someone could create a smart home in the 1930s with limited technology, what might we achieve today with all the tools at our disposal?

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