Local character thumb|right|Gaslights on Vose Avenue near dusk The village is one of only a few in New Jersey to retain gas light street illumination (others include Riverton, Palmyra, Trenton Mill Hill neighborhood, and Glen Ridge). The gaslight, together with the distinctive Village Hall, has long been the symbol of South Orange. Many of the major roads in town do have modern mercury vapor streetlights (built into gaslight frames), but most of the residential sections of the town are still gas-lit. A proposal to replace all the gaslights in town with electric streetlights was explored as both a cost-saving and security measure during the 1970s. And although the changeover to electric was rejected at the time, the light output of the lamps was increased to provide more adequate lighting. There have been claims that South Orange has more operating gaslights than any other community in the United States. In 2010, the village initiated a project that would automatically shut the lamps in the morning and light them at dusk, as part of an effort to save as much as $400,000 each year in energy costs for the 1,438 gas lamps across the village.Khavkine, Richard. "South Orange tests device to automate gas lamps", The Star-Ledger, August 22, 2010. Accessed October 21, 2015. "The hope is that after a yearlong testing period, the battery-powered device, developed by PSE&G together with the Northeast Gas Association and others, will be installed in each of the village's 1,438 gas lamps." As of 2019, these devices have not been installed.
Local character thumb|right|Gaslights on Vose Avenue near dusk The village is one of only a few in New Jersey to retain gas light street illumination (others include Riverton, Palmyra, Trenton Mill Hill neighborhood, and Glen Ridge). The gaslight, together with the distinctive Village Hall has long been the symbol of South Orange. Many of the major roads in town do have modern mercury vapor streetlights (built into gaslight frames), but most of the residential sections of the town are still gas-lit. A proposal to replace all the gaslights in town with electric streetlights was explored as both a cost-saving and security measure during the 1970s. And although the changeover to electric was rejected at the time, the light output of the lamps was increased to provide more adequate lighting. There have been claims that South Orange has more operating gaslights than any other community in the United States. In 2010, the village initiated a project that would automatically shut the lamps in the morning and light them at dusk, as part of an effort to save as much as $400,000 each year in energy costs for the 1,438 gas lamps across the village.Khavkine, Richard. "South Orange tests device to automate gas lamps", The Star-Ledger, August 22, 2010. Accessed October 21, 2015. "The hope is that after a yearlong testing period, the battery-powered device developed by PSE&G together with the Northeast Gas Association and others, will be installed in each of the village's 1,438 gas lamps." As of 2019, these devices have not been installed.