Let There Be Light

Let There Be Light. . Hello and welcome to the Avalon History Center.

Gas lighting was invented by William Murdoch in 1792, and cities in Britain began to light their streets using gas at that time. The United States followed suit shortly afterwards with the introduction of gas lighting to Pelham Street in Newport, Rhode Island in 1803. Throughout the 19th century, the use of gas lighting increased. Some locations in the US still use gas lights.

An agreement was reached between the Borough of Avalon and the Pennsylvania Globe Gas Light Company on July 17, 1894 to provide light and service not less than 25 lamps at a cost of $19.50 per lamp per year. They would provide warm street lighting for Avalon for many years until the advent of electric lighting in 1911.

During the 1890s, although Avalon's gas street lamps typically were removed, cleaned, painted and stored for the winter, Council felt the town needed some light during the cold, dark, winter months. J. Howard Preston, who was the lamplighter at the time, was hired to light eight lamps during the winter. The rest were stored until the summer.

This actual working gas lamp is a true, historic example of the lamps provided by the Pennsylvania Globe Gas Light Company. The Penn Globe company has been providing gas lamp in the United States since 1877.

[Captions:]
A gas lamp tender working on a lamp in Avalon in the 1890s, likely 2" Avenue.

A conservator applying a treatment to the gas lamp in 2016. The lamp was restored and conserved to withstand Avalon's salt air climate for years to come.