[1] As the epicentre of George Town, the street was created soon after Light established the settlement in 1786 and has been serving as a major thoroughfare within the city centre ever since.

Having landed at the then swampy Esplanade, and while Fort Cornwallis was under construction, Light ordered the crew of his ship to fire silver coins into the jungles that covered the area at the time.

With over 200 years of history stretching back to 1786, Light Street is older than most cities and towns in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

[4] The State Assembly Building, originally built as the central police station of George Town, was completed by the mid 19th century.

Only a small part of the complex remains standing; it now houses the offices of the Penang State Islamic Council.