The South Orange Historical and Preservation Society was founded in 1986 and has been involved in the planning of projects like placing the Tony Smith sculpture ("TAU") by the Duck Pond and Village Hall photo exhibits. A current initiative is to preserve the Old Stone House (219 South Orange Avenue), which was built prior to 1680 and has been vacant since it stopped being the home of the Board of Education in the 1980s. It's located next to the police station. The Village is currently considering whether to demolish or restore it.

Meetings typically take place on the second Monday of the month at different locations. There's a list of South Orange sites on the state's historic register. The current president is Greg Burrus. There are about 30 members.