About The Oldest Lighting In America
This historic structure is the first site in American history with public street lighting
"Lighting" refers to the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting is not just about brightness but about how light is used to transform spaces, enhance visibility, create atmosphere, increase safety or convey messages in various artistic, practical, functional or scientific contexts.
Drinker's Court, located in Philadelphia, PA is the site of the first and oldest public lighting in America. In 1751 John Clifton (d. 1759), had placed the first street lamp in front of his large, two-story brick house at the southeast corner of what was then named Clifton’s (or Drinker’s) Alley and Second Street, below Race street.
Today, the southeast corner of Clifton’s (Drinker’s) Alley and Second Street, below Race Street corresponds to the modern address of 236-238 Delancey Street in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. Historically known as Clifton’s Alley or Drinker’s Alley, this location is now called Drinker’s Court.
Shortly after this historic lighting event, in 1751 Philadelphia became the first city in America to provide its streets with public lighting. While John Clifton received credit for first showing Philadelphia the advantages of street lighting, Benjamin Franklin explained that he himself had devised the four-sided, ventilated lamp which stayed clean much longer than the closed globe used by Clifton and commonly seen in London.
The City Of Philadelphia defines it as America's first public lighting. National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) states Clifton's and Second Street as the first ever public lighting in American history.
First illuminated by John Clifton's oil lamp, this location remains lit today, albeit by more advanced lighting technology. Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) currently powers up this historic street and the Society Hill neighborhood. This site of America's first public lighting was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 27th, 1971.
Benjamin Franklin improved oil lamp design and introduced street lighting in the United States in the 1750s. His innovations included using flat glass panes, two woven wicks, and a design that captured heat to warm the oil and wick.
Franklin's oil lamps were made of four flat panes of glass, with a funnel above to draw smoke and crevices below to let air in. This design was an improvement on the glass globes used in London, which would darken with soot and needed to be cleaned often.
The introduction of public lighting by John Clifton, not only helped to deter crime, but also facilitated nighttime commerce and social activities, making the city more vibrant after dark. This development reflected the growing importance of urban infrastructure and public services in colonial America.
This first public street lighting in America set a precedent for other cities to follow in the years to come. Philadelphia's initiative was a significant step toward modern urban living and contributed to the city's reputation as a progressive hub during that period.
The evolution of American lighting history includes several milestones: Newport, RI introduced the first gas street lamp in 1805. Baltimore, MD established the first publicly funded street lamp in 1817. Thomas Edison unveiled the first electric light in Menlo Park, NJ in 1879. Wabash, IN became the first town globally to be widely illuminated by electricity in 1880. Roselle, NJ was the first village worldwide to be lit by Edison’s incandescent light bulb in 1883.
However, the birthplace of American public lighting is Drinker's Alley in Philadelphia, PA, where the first light was installed in 1751. Remarkably, this historic street remains illuminated to this day, making it the oldest continuously lit location in the United States.