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The History of Gas Lamps

The invention of the gas lamp in 1792 changed the way people lived and created a new industry. Gas lamps gave people an inexpensive way to light their homes, extending the day and increasing the safety of city streets.

Early History
- William Murdock was the first person to come up with a practical way to use gas lighting. In 1792, he lit his home with gas and in 1804 built a gas works to light his cotton mill in Manchester, England. The first public street to use gas lamps was Pall Mall, London.
Gaining Popularity
- Until 1830, all gas lamps were manufactured in England or France. It wasn't until 1840 that the United States started manufacturing its own gas lamps. In 1816, Baltimore, Maryland, was the first city in the U.S. to install public gas lamps. Paris quickly followed in 1820.
Intricate Designs
- Early gas lamps had elegant and attractive designs and were created to be aesthetically pleasing as well as practical. By the 1860s, chandeliers--also called gaseliers--with several lights per fixture, were quite common. The earliest gas table lamps date to 1853. By the end of the 19th century, most major cities had gas lighting--but the advance of electricity spelled the demise of gas lighting in the decades to come.

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