History of Liberty Island (New York) - Home Home History of Liberty Island (New York) The History Of Liberty Island (The Timeline) The History Of Liberty Island,goes hand in hand with the Statue of Liberty to most of us,and we all know the island where it stands,must have a history as well. We've all heard of Liberty Island,we associate it with New York,and associate it with the home of the Statue of Liberty representing freedom in this land. Snow Roof Rakes 950 A.D. The detailed history of the island dates back as far as 950 A.D. when the Native American people would travel out to the Island to collect Oysters.The Island itself was named after being bountiful in Oyster Beds,which was a main source of food to the various tribes in the area.This went on for 100's of years. Unfortunately,the oyster beds are long gone,and only remembered in the history books.Development took it's course on the Island through several centuries,and by the the turn of the 19th put an end to them.

However,we're not here to talk about the Oyster Beds that once were.We're here to discuss the detailed history of Liberty Island.To the almost 15 acres of land,to the name,and to those who once set foot here.Lots of history here,that's kinda fun to know if you're a history buff like me. If all your curiosity is about the Island,when it was officially named Liberty Island.That was in 1956,when an act of Congress officially made it so.Even though it's been called Liberty Island since the turn of the 18th century,Congress felt it was time it was made official. The beginning It's really hard to start at a beginning that's in most of our minds as an understanding,regarding this magnificent island.So what we'll do here is just touch briefly from the ealiest history we know of.In other words,words put to pen by others,on the interesting history of Liberty Island through there eyes.Even though some of the authors could have offered a bit more expression,and opinion on their personal thoughts.Just as we do writing history.

We all know of Liberty Island,because that's where the Statue of Liberty is.France gave us this wonderful gift of friendship.A symbol known through out the world as of freedom & democracy. The dedication of The Statue of Liberty took place Oct.28th - 1886 Then in 1924 was designated as a National Monument. Now prior to all this,more history took place that we'd like to share with you. It should be no suprise to you,that the first people to set foot on the island were Native Americans.This was once territory of the Algonquian Tribes,and they visited the island for the mass oysters to collect,which was one of their main food staples. The island at one time had the name Oyster Islands,because it was named after a chain of 3 islands,which all were used as gathering oysters at one time.Hard to imagine now when one steps foot on the island.

1500's Then some time in the early - mid 1500's the Europeans began their quest for riches,new land,adventure,and along with them explorers looking for water passages to the Pacific Ocean.I think some of you might remember the name "Henry Hudson" back in highscool,that's if they still teach some of this history anymore. 1609 He was hired by the Dutch to find the passage.Of course he never found it,because it never existed,but he did establish a colony when he arrived in New York Harbor in 1609,right along side the Hudson River which was later on named after him. The Native Americans and Europeans got along well,and in this early part of history the Europeans stuck to their treaties with the Native American Tribes in the area.Good trading took place,and the tribes help assist these new arrivals to make their lives tolerable in the new world. 1614 One such treaty was a trading agreement in 1614 between the tribes in what is now the greater New York area,and the Dutch settlers. The treaty gave the Dutch three years of exclusive rights to collect furs and hunt for pelts on the their lands.

Metal goods were given in return,which helped make the Native Americans lives easier as well.Such as metal cooking pots,axes,knives,and many other various tools made of metal,and metal itself.The Native Americans prized arrowheads,and spear heads made in iron,and some copper. In the very short years that followed,encroachment on their land was rampid,wars,and disease was taking a great toll on the Native Americans in the area.So not long after that,they left the area,and some tribes journeyed to the North,and some relocated Westwards. 1664 Things changed for the Dutch as well,when the English took possession of New Netherlands in 1664,and the English & the Dutch were at peace at the time.Then renamed it New York. The island itself was given to Captain Robert Needham by Richard Nicholls,who was the colonial Governor of New York.Then he turned around and sold it back to one of the Dutch Colonists by the name Isaac Bedloe.Talk about a strange turn of events back in the day,but one has to remember this was a valuable swath of territory at the time.

Then just a couple of years later a new English Colonial Governor was in place,and in one of his conditions to the Dutch owner,was he had to allow those accused of civil crimes to live their safely.In others words have the island he owns house criminals,and also rename the island "Love Island".Not sure on the story behind why that name,but this governors last name was "Lovelace". The owner of now "Love Island"..which prior to that was part of the "Oyster Islands Chain" was now Love Island. 1673 Bedloe died in 1673,and the Dutch colonists temporarily overthrew Governor Lovelace,but within a short time the English regained control of New York once again,but did change the name to the original owners last name "Bedloe's Island". 1732 In 1732 the island was sold once again to merchants Adolph Philipse & Henry Lane. However frustration as with all the previous owners still carried over to the new owners.The city decided to take the island over to screen ships entering the harbor for possible cases of small pox,and would also quarintine those who were diagnosed with it there.

1746 Then in 1746,Archibald Kennedy purchased the island,and spent considerable time & money to fix it up,and make an attempt at renting it out,but as mentioned above,the curse of owning this island seemed to follow each owner like a curse.All they could get out of this small chucnk of land was the title itself.Could it be perhaps he tried changing the name once again to "Kennedy Island"? 1755 In 1755,the City of New York once again took control of the island for use as a quarantine station for small pox,and thus in return he ended up selling the island to the city in 1758. Then the island for some time was used for those with small pox & other infectious diseases.A hospital was built,and that was the island's purpose for some time. Then during the American Revolution,the island was used by the British,as we shall now call them,as a refuge to colonists that were loyal subjects of the King,to offer them protection from the other colonists at arms. The island was attacked on more than one occasion during the Revolution,and all the original structures were burned to the ground.

After the war,the island was granted to the French to use,and they used it as a hospital,as before to a great degree to contain infectious disease,but fate for the island always comes back to haunt the owners it seems. It once again was taken back by the city of New York,and soon afterwards it's real value as a defense post came into light. 1807 Several forts were built throughout New York Harbor in 1807 to protect New York City from invasion. An eleven point star-shaped fort initially known as the "Works on Bedloe's Island," was was built,and really quite the sight at the time. 1814 In 1814,it was renamed Fort Wood dedicated to the memory of Eleazer D. Wood,who was an army hero killed in battle at Fort Erie during the war of 1812. Then between 1851 and 1876 Fort Hood Fort Wood served as an ordinance depot.In it's first year of opening,there were about 600 men stationed there,and was rumored to be very over crowded.I can easily see that,being the island is just under 15 acres.

1861 In 1861 operations picked up on the island once again during the Civil War,which was used more of a supply depot at the time. When the Civil War ended in 1865,a French political intellectual,who was also a anti-slavery activist proposed that a statue representing liberty be built for the United States on the island.This man's name was Edouard de Laboulaye. This monument would be dedicated in honor to the United States centennial of independence,and the friendship with France.

The French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi was all to eager to support the idea,and supported Laboulaye in this endevor,and in 1870,he began designing the statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World." Bartholdi designed the Statue in France,and in this time he also took a trip to the United States in 1871,to pick out the location for this historic gift.Bartholdi selected Bedloe's Island as the site for the Statue,it's location couldn't be more perfect for him,because he considered it's location on the island as the "gateway to America." Then in 1876 the work began,and French artisans and craftsmen began constructing the Statue in France under Bartholdi's supervision. Construction of the statue took about 6 years,and was pre-assembled in Paris before it's arrival here,and what's strange is some of the parts of this statue,such as the arm holding the torch were shown here as well,prior to being fully assembled in Paris in 1882.So some parts of this statue crossed the Atlantic 3 times. 1885 Then on June 17, 1885,the Statue arrived in New York Harbor.

Once the pedestal was completed for the statue,and with great speed the workers assembled this gigantic statue that represented freedom. 1886 October 28th, 1886,The statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World".Celebration took place,parades,music,and festivity filled the air.Flags being waved,and gunshots rang in the air.Every bell in the harbor rang with joy. The statue soon became under the administration of the U.S. Lighthouse Board,by order of the current president Grover Cleveland,but the statue wasn't created to be a lighthouse,and not a very worthy lighthouse,if one could have ever considered it one to begin with.However,the torch part of the statue was electrified,but made a horrible light house. Then Liberty Island changes hands again in 1901,when ownership is taken over by the Department of War.It's unknown to me what exactly,if anything occured there during the years the War Department had reign of the island. 1937 In 1937 some good news came for the island.Ownership changed hands once again for Liberty Island,ending up in the hands of the National Park Service. A man by the name Norman T.

Newton,who was a landscape architect had big plans for the island.One objective was to clean it up,remove the run down building around the statue,lay sidewalks,and lay grass.To really add the beauty to it's surroundings. In 1937 under the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration,gave the green flag to the National Park Service to start on Norman Newton's design.Good progress was made on the grounds of the island,but also the statue itself being cleaned up,and refurbished. Work on the island abrubtly ended with the start of WWII.When all resources,and funds were directed at the war effort. Restoration of the island took front seat again after the war,and the rash of public complaints in 1948,sped up the pace to get the island cleaned up once again.Congress appropriated $110,000 in renewed funding to make this possible,and once again the dream of Norman Newton was taking place. 1957 Bedloe's Island was then renamed Liberty Island in 1956 through a joint resolution in Congress,and signed by the president.Then in the following year of 1957,the work was on the island was finish.

The years that followed,the statue was showing the wear from weather & time.A group of French and American architects,engineers,and conservators determined that serious work was needed,if the statue wanted to still be around after the turn of the century. 1984 So in 1984,construction began on the interior,working outwards with scaffolding around its exterior. Some parts of the statue had to be completely replaced,but replaced with exact duplicates,such as parts of the torch. In 1986 resoration was finished,and the Statue's centennial was celebrated on July 4th with one heck of a fireworks show. Liberty Island,with nearby Ellis Island are part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The only access to the island is the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Ferry system.The ferries depart from Battery Park in New York and Liberty State Park in New Jersey. For more information on visiting,just check out the National Park Service's Website. Happy to share the history of Liberty Island with so many,and glad more New Yorkers are understanding the history in these parts as well. Create a free website Statue of Liberty facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Statue of Liberty COPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc.

STATUE OF LIBERTY STATUE OF LIBERTY, originally named "Liberty Enlightening the World," was a gift from France, unveiled on 28 October 1886 at Bedloe's Island (later Liberty Island) in New York Harbor. There, President Grover Cleveland accepted it as a long-delayed commemoration of a century of American independence. Rising 151 feet above an 89-foot pedestal, it was then the tallest structure in New York City. The French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi had designed the statue with assistance from the great engineer Gustave Eiffel. It was then shipped from Paris in sections. The project's sponsors were a group of French liberals who tirelessly promoted the United States as a model of popular government rooted in stability and order and wanted France to follow the American example. Accordingly, Bartholdi's gigantic classical goddess carries a tablet representing the American Declaration of Independence. Yet she faces outward, stolid, strong, and unmovable as beams from her upraised lamp radiate across the sea. The history of the Statue of Liberty is largely a story of its growing centrality and importance among the cherished symbols of the American nation.

At first it differed chiefly in size and location from numerous other classical goddesses who crowded the nineteenth century's repertory of symbols. But size and location were crucially important. She was an overwhelming presence at the entry to America's greatest city. As more vaporous goddesses faded in the harsh light of modernity, the great statue became the centerpiece of a magical American place, recognizable everywhere through postcards and magazine covers, with the New York City skyline rising behind her. To many Americans she also conveyed a profoundly personal message. The millions of immigrants who were landing at New York City in the early twentieth century saw in this majestic figure their first intimation of a new life. In her uplifted arm they read a message of welcome that said, "This vast republic wants me!" By 1910 public schools in some large cities were reenacting in pageants (with a teacher as the statue) the gathering of immigrants into an inclusive nation. The use of the statue to identify America with an active promotion of freedom received further emphasis in the Liberty Bond drives and parades of World War I and from the ideological mobilization of the United States against totalitarian regimes during and after World War II.

In domestic affairs, embattled images of the statue also energized campaigns for civil liberties and women's rights. In the mid-1980s, a fabulously successful fund-raising campaign led by Chrysler executive Lee Iacocca produced a deep restoration of the statue, capped in October 1986 by a four-day extravaganza celebrating its centennial. BIBLIOGRAPHY Dillon, Wilton S., and Neil G. Kotler, eds. The Statue of Liberty Revisited: Making a Universal Symbol. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994. Liberty: The French-American Statue in Art and History. New York: Harper and Row, 1986. Trachtenberg, Marvin. The Statue of Liberty. New York: Penguin Books, 1977. JohnHigham Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press Statue of Liberty, statue on Liberty Island in Upper New York Bay, commanding the entrance to New York City.

Liberty Island, c.10 acres (4 hectares), formerly Bedloe's Island (renamed in 1956), was the former site of a quarantine station and harbor fortifications. The statue, originally known as Liberty Enlightening the World, was proposed by the French historian Édouard Laboulaye in 1865 to commemorate the alliance of France with the American colonies during the American Revolution and, according to scholars, was originally intended as an antimonarchy and antislavery symbol. Funds were raised by the Franco-American Union (est. 1875), and the statue was designed by the French sculptor F. A. Bartholdi in the form of a woman with an uplifted arm holding a torch. The world's tallest metal statue when it was made, 151 ft (46 m) in height, it was constructed of copper sheets, using Bartholdi's 9-ft (2.7-m) model. It was shipped to New York City in 1885, assembled, and dedicated in 1886.

The base of the statue is an 11-pointed star, part of old Fort Wood; a 154-ft (47-m) pedestal, built through American funding, is made of concrete faced with granite. On it is a tablet, affixed in 1903, inscribed with "The New Colossus," the famous sonnet of Emma Lazarus, welcoming immigrants to the United States. By the early 20th cent, this greeting to the arriving stranger had become the statue's primary symbolic message. Broadening in its meaning, the statue became a symbol of America during World War I and a ubiquitous democratic symbol during World War II. An elevator runs to the top of the pedestal, and steps within the statue lead to the crown. The statue was extensively refurbished prior to its centennial celebration in 1986. The Statue of Liberty became a national monument in 1924. In 1965, Ellis Island , the entrance point of millions of immigrants to the United States, was added to the monument. See M. Trachtenberg, The Statue of Liberty (1976); W. S.

Dillon, ed., The Statue of Liberty Revisited (1994); B. Moreno, The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia (2000); Y. S. Khan, Enlightening the World: The Creation of the Statue of Liberty (2010); E. Mitchell, Liberty's Torch: The Great Adventure to Build the Statue of Liberty (2014). Cite this article New York attractions: Statue of Liberty Where New York attractions: Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty is one of New York's best attractions. Find the top Broadway shows, things to do, restaurants and bars in and around the Statue of Liberty. By Time Out editors Wed Sep 26 2012 The Statue of Liberty has stood in New York Harbor for more than 125 years and has become a symbol of the city, the USA and liberty itself. Take our photo tour of this beloved New York attraction to discover things you never knew. Plus, find ticketing information and things to do nearby. Here she is: The Statue of Liberty, one of our favorite New York attractions. Find out things you never knew (or have forgotten since second grade) about Lady Liberty by clicking through our online gallery.

Photograph: National Park Service The Statue of Liberty is the creation of French artist Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and was built in his Paris studio. Parisians got a sneak peek at the future New York attraction when the bust was displayed at the Paris World's Fair in 1878. Photograph: Lauren Foy While the Statue of Liberty was made and paid for by the French, the United States agreed to pay for the construction of the pedestal. Fund-raising efforts stalled until New York World publisher Joseph Pulitzer—yes, that Pulitzer—began printing in his newspaper the names of every person who contributed to the fund. (Sounds like a Kickstarter ploy to us; dude was clearly ahead of his time.) This iron statue of Pulitzer stands at the walkway near the left entrance to the statue, one of five pieces commemorating individuals who helped bring Lady Liberty to our shores. The full story of how the iconic New York attraction came into being is told in the museum on Liberty Island. Admission is included in the price of the ferry. Photograph: National Park Service The Statue of Liberty's visage, awaiting assembly on Bedloe's Island in New York, later renamed Liberty Island in 1956.

Photograph: National Park Service A flotilla of boats marked the dedication of Liberty Enlightening the World on October 28, 1886, in case you were wondering where the United Kingdom nicked the idea for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee from. First that whole taxation without representation thing, then this. It really is too much. Photograph: National Park Service Beginning in 1984, the Statue of Liberty underwent a face-lift. Like the funding of the original plinth, private donations entirely paid for the renovation, undertaken in the '80s by the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation ( ellisisland.org ). Photograph: National Park Service The Statue of Liberty's torch, before it was replaced with a new version in the '80s. The old torch used to leak when it rained, damaging the interior of the statue. It is now on display in the lobby of the monument. The Statue of Liberty's new torch. Photograph: National Park Service This photo shows the interior of the Statue of Liberty and the winding 168-step staircase that leads to the crown.

The steel supports were designed by Gustave Eiffel, who later went on to use this same basic design for the Eiffel Tower. Photograph: National Park Service After closing the interior of the Statue of Liberty due to the attacks of September 11, 2001, the National Parks Service resumed public access starting on July 4, 2009. It's currently closed for renovations, but ticketed entry to the crown is slated to resume by the end of 2012. Photograph: National Park Service The view from one of the 25 windows in the Statue of Liberty's crown. Photograph: National Park Service Here's a detail of Bartholdi's work that's not accessible to visitors: broken chains at the Statue of Liberty's feet, symbolizing freedom from oppression. Behold a shot of Lady Liberty from the CrownCam , one of five video cameras set up by the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation that stream live on the Internet. There's also the TorchCam , which offers a wide-angle view inside the torch and allows you to zoom in on details.

Also available are views of New York from the torch , a panorama of the harbor from the torch and a vista of the Statue of Liberty from Brooklyn Harbor . Photograph: National Park Service This bronze plaque of Emma Lazarus's poem "The New Colossus" was originally displayed on the interior wall of the Statue of Liberty's pedestal. You can new view it in the museum on Liberty Island. The poem reads: Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightening, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Photograph: Courtesy the Library of Congress Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage to see the exhibit "Emma Lazarus: Poet of Exiles" (through Aug 12, 2012). Presented as part of the celebrations surrounding the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty's dedication, the exhibit looks at Lazarus’s life as a Jewish writer in 19th-century America. Pictured: Jewish refugee children arriving in America, 1939. Photograph: NASA/Bill Ingalls On April 27, 2012, the Space Shuttle Enterprise piggybacked a ride on a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to JFK, passing the Statue of Liberty. We imagine Lady Liberty was not overawed, having seen the first flying canoe, strapped to Wilbur Wright's Wright Model A Flyer as it rounded the Statue of Liberty on September 29, 1909. The cheapest (well, free-est) way to see the Statue of Liberty is to hop a ride on the Staten Island Ferry .

Plus, you can buy a beer from the bar to toast Lady Liberty as you pass. Listen closely and you may just hear her whisper on the wind: "Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug." It would be unpatriotic not to oblige. New York Water Taxi's Statue of Liberty Express tour route circles Liberty Island as well as offering a view of other New York attractions including the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building and the World Trade Center site. Departs from South Street Seaport, Pier 16 , Fulton St at South St; call 212-742-1969 or visit nywatertaxi.com for details; $17–$28. One of New York's finest viewing spots of the Statue of Liberty, Picnic Point on Governors Island (another of the best New York attractions), offers a fine vista of Lady Liberty's profile. It also offers picnic tables, swings and hammocks once you've finished gazing. Courtesy of Figment Project While you're on Governors Island, make sure to check out the 2012 Interactive Sculpture Garden (through Sept 23).

Zaq Landsberg's "Face of Liberty" plants a full-scale replica of the Statue of Liberty's visage in the grass. The artist encourages viewers to clamber over his work: So stand astride Lady Liberty's face, throw your head back and screen the final lines from Planet of the Apes: "You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!" We promise, nobody will think you're weird. Photograph: Lauren Foy This bucolic view of the Statue of Liberty can be found at Battery Park . Photograph: Beth Levendis Get another vantage point of the Statue of Liberty from Louis J. Valentino Park and Pier . We recommend going when the sun sets. Bonus: If you have a pair of 3-D specs on hand, check out the view in three dimensions in this story on best parks to watch the sunset . Photograph: Michael Hughes Once you've chosen your perfect view of Lady Liberty, we're guessing you'll take a photo. To avoid leaving with the same image of the Statue of Liberty as everyone else, try this interesting approach, pioneered by Michael Hughes.

We asked him for his tips, and he said, “First, you look for the funniest or dumbest souvenir. Then, starting from a distance, hold the item in front of the lens and move closer until the objects line up. It’s actually quite tricky, and I strongly suggest giving up coffee, so you can hold your hand steady.” If that's too much trouble, prints of his "Souvenir" series can be purchased at hughes-photograph.eu . Photograph: Jolie Ruben At the City Reliquary , one of our favorite, quirky New York attractions, postcards of the Statue of Liberty dominate a wall. Our minds can't help but recall artist Zoe Leonard's work "You see I am here after all," which displayed thousands of vintage postcards of Niagara Falls at Dia:Beacon from 2008 to 2011. You can read more about that exhibit on Dia:Beacon's website . Photograph: Bruce White This replica of the Statue of Liberty was adorned with messages and tributes by the public outside the firehouse of Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, which lost 15 men to the attacks of September 11.

This Lady Liberty replica is now on display at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site . An interactive website ( ladyliberty.national911memorial.org ) allows visitors to see the artifacts in greater detail and learn about the people and stories behind them. Photograph: Adam Husted The Statue of Liberty sure gets around. You'll find Little Liberty, a 40-foot-tall sheet-metal replica that once stood atop the Liberty Warehouse on Broadway and 64th Street, in the Brooklyn Museum 's Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden. This is one of three replicas of the Statue in Liberty in Paris. This copy resides on the Île aux Cygnes, a man-made island on the river Seine. The tablet has the dates of both the American Declaration of Independence and the storming of the Bastille, a key event in the French Revolution. If you happen to be in Paris, you can see Bartholdi’s original Statue of Liberty before he made the one for NYC in the Jardin du Luxembourg .

10 Things You Didn't Know About the Statue of Liberty | Mental Floss 10 Things You Didn't Know About the Statue of Liberty National Park Service Like us on Facebook July 4th is a big day for the U.S.—not only is it Independence Day, but the Statue of Liberty reopens for essentially the first time since 2011. After her 125th birthday party in 2011, the statue was closed for an interior facelift, including new elevators, staircases and restrooms. She was literally open for a single day—October 28, 2012—before closing again due to Hurricane Sandy. Though the statue survived the storm unscathed, the island itself suffered a lot of damage, and so Lady Liberty has remained closed. To celebrate the reopening—and Independence Day, of course—let's revisit a few little-known Liberty facts. 1. The Statue’s dedication inspired another uniquely New York institution: the ticker-tape parade. New York office workers got the idea to unfurl financial ribbons from windows on October 29, 1886, the day President Grover Cleveland presided over the dedication ceremony.

The dedication is pictured above—though it was indeed a foggy day, the haze you see is the smoke from the military salute. 2. Up until Hurricane Sandy hit last year, David Luchsinger and his wife were residents of a very, very exclusive neighborhood: Liberty Island. As the superintendent of the Statue of Liberty, Luchsinger is one of a select few who have ever called the island home. The National Park Ranger selected to be the seer of the statue is provided with free housing—a small brick house, located on the other side of the island. The Luchsingers’ famous neighbor is hidden by trees, believe it or not. Unfortunately, the cozy little house sustained a lot of damage during Sandy. There’s been some speculation that Luchsinger may be the last non-colossus Liberty Island resident ever. 3. The star-shaped Fort Wood, which now serves as part of the statue’s pedestal, was home to military families from 1818 until the mid-1930s.

These military families often included young children like Pete Bluhm (who was 83 when this article ran in the New York Times last year), who remembered a Fourth of July where G.I.s bounced bottle rockets off of Lady Liberty’s posterior. Another man, James Hill, recalled that he and his younger sister would drop baseballs from Liberty’s crown to see how high they would bounce. Other Liberty Island kids said they climbed to the torch tower and made it rock back and forth. 4. Once upon a time, it wasn’t just island kids who could climb to the tip of the torch. Tourists were able to climb up to the precarious perch until 1916, when those privileges were revoked in response to the Black Tom incident. Around 2 a.m. on July 30, Black Tom, once an island in the New York Harbor, was rocked by the explosion of two million tons of war materials such as TNT, black powder, shrapnel and dynamite. The blast was the equivalent of a 5.5-on-the-Richter Scale earthquake; shrapnel flew across the night sky and embedded itself in the Statue of Liberty. Windows shattered as far as 25 miles away.

It was later determined that German agents intent on stopping the munitions from getting to their English enemies had ignited the supply. The Statue of Liberty’s torch was closed, partially due to infrastructure damage from the blast and partially just out of concern for terrorism. It’s been closed ever since—but you can still appreciate the view from the top with this TorchCam , installed in 2011. 5. The seven spikes radiating from the Lady’s crown aren’t actually part of the crown. They’re meant to be a halo, also known as an aureole. The rays were temporarily removed from her crown in 1938 so their rusted supports could be replaced. 6. The Statue of Liberty was supposed to have a sister statue and lighthouse in Egypt. Sculptor Frederic Bartholdi offered to make Egypt a large piece for the entrance to the Suez Canal called “Egypt Carrying Light to Asia,” which would have featured a veiled Egyptian peasant woman holding a lantern. The Egyptian khedive declined. 7. When the statue first arrived from France, she was the color of a shiny new penny. It took roughly 20 years for Liberty to patina to the greenish-blue hue she is today. 8.

Frederic Bartholdi has trumped any Mother’s Day gift you could ever come up with: He used his mother, Charlotte, as the model for the most recognized statue in the world. This was first discovered in 1876, when Bartholdi invited French Senator Jules Bozerian to his box at the opera. When Bozerian pulled back the curtain to step into the box, he was shocked to find a real-life version of the Statue of Liberty sitting there in the box. When he said so to Bartholdi, the sculptor smiled: “But do you know who this lady is? She’s my mother,” he told the senator. 9. According to The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia, these are common nicknames for “Everybody’s Gal”: America’s Freedom, America’s Great Lady, Aunt Liberty, Bartholdi’s Daughter, Giant Goddess, Grande Dame, Green Goddess, The Lady Higher Up, Lady of the Harbor, Lady on a Pedestal, Lady with a Torch, Mother of Exiles, Mother of Freedom, Saint Liberty, and the Spirit of American Independence. 10. "The Statue of Liberty,” is, in fact, a nickname.

Bartholdi’s name for his gift was “Liberty Enlightening the World.” More from mental_floss... Liberty Island | island, New York, United States | Britannica.com Liberty Island island, New York, United States Written By: Alternative Titles: Bedloe’s Island, Great Oyster Bay Similar Topics Tenerife Liberty Island, formerly (until 1956) Bedloe’s Island , island , off the southern tip of Manhattan Island , New York , New York , U.S. , in Upper New York Bay. It has an area of about 12 acres (5 hectares) and is the site of French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi ’s “ Liberty Enlightening the World ” (the Statue of Liberty ). The island and nearby Ellis Island constitute Statue of Liberty National Monument. Although the monument is within New Jersey waters, Liberty Island and a portion of Ellis Island are within the territorial jurisdiction of New York state. The Statue of Liberty, on Liberty Island, New York.

© Goodshoot/Jupiterimages Known to the Delaware Indians as Minnissais (“Lesser Island”) and to early colonists as Great Oyster, the island was renamed for Isaac Bedloe (or Isaack Bedloo), a merchant who bought it in the 1660s. The city of New York acquired the island in 1758, and it was ceded to the state of New York in 1796 and to the federal government in 1800. Fort Wood was built there for the War of 1812 , and the statue was erected within the fort in 1885–86. The statue was declared a national monument in 1924; in 1933 the National Park Service gained jurisdiction over the monument, acquiring the entire island when Fort Wood was decommissioned in 1937. Learn More in these related articles: Statue of Liberty - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Statue of Liberty A+E Networks Introduction The Statue of Liberty was a joint effort between France and the United States, intended to commemorate the lasting friendship between the peoples of the two nations.

The French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi created the statue itself out of sheets of hammered copper, while Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the man behind the famed Eiffel Tower, designed the statue’s steel framework. The Statue of Liberty was then given to the United States and erected atop an American-designed pedestal on a small island in Upper New York Bay, now known as Liberty Island, and dedicated by President Grover Cleveland in 1886. Over the years, the statue stood tall as millions of immigrants arrived in America via nearby Ellis Island; in 1986, it underwent an extensive renovation in honor of the centennial of its dedication. Today, the Statue of Liberty remains an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy, as well as one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks. Google Origins of the Statue of Liberty Around 1865, as the American Civil War drew to a close, the French historian Edouard de Laboulaye proposed that France create a statue to give to the United States in celebration of that nation’s success in building a viable democracy.

The sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, known for largescale sculptures, earned the commission; the goal was to design the sculpture in time for the centennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. The project would be a joint effort between the two countries–the French people were responsible for the statue and its assembly, while the Americans would build the pedestal on which it would stand–and a symbol of the friendship between their peoples. Did You Know? The base of the Statue of Liberty's pedestal contains exhibits on the monument's history, including the original 1886 torch. Visitor access to the Statue of Liberty's torch was halted for good after German operatives set off an explosion on the nearby Black Tom peninsula in July 1916, during World War I. Due to the need to raise funds for the statue, work on the sculpture did not begin until 1875. Bartholdi’s massive creation, titled “Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World,” depicted a woman holding a torch in her raised right hand and a tablet in her left, upon which was engraved “July 4, 1776,” the adoption date of the Declaration of Independence.

Bartholdi, who was said to have modeled the woman’s face after that of his mother, hammered large copper sheets to create the statue’s “skin” (using a technique called repousse). To create the skeleton on which the skin would be assembled, he called on Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, designer of Paris’ Eiffel Tower . Along with Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, Eiffel built a skeleton out of iron pylon and steel that allowed the copper skin to move independently, a necessary condition for the strong winds it would endure in the chosen location of New York Harbor. Statue of Liberty: Assembly and Dedication While work went on in France on the actual statue, fundraising efforts continued in the United States for the pedestal, including contests, benefits and exhibitions. Near the end, the leading New York newspaperman Joseph Pulitzer used his paper, the World, to raise the last necessary funds. Designed by the American architect Richard Morris Hunt, the statue’s pedestal was constructed inside the courtyard of Fort Wood, a fortress built for the War of 1812 and located on Bedloe’s Island, off the southern tip of Manhattan in Upper New York Bay.

In 1885, Bartholdi completed the statue, which was disassembled, packed in more than 200 crates, and shipped to New York, arriving that June aboard the French frigate Isere. Over the next four months, workers reassembled the statue and mounted it on the pedestal; its height reached 305 feet (or 93 meters), including the pedestal. On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty in front of thousands of spectators. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island In 1892, the U.S. government opened a federal immigration station on Ellis Island , located near Bedloe’s Island in Upper New York Bay. Between 1892 and 1954, some 12 million immigrants were processed on Ellis Island before receiving permission to enter the United States. From 1900-14, during the peak years of its operation, some 5,000 to 10,000 people passed through every day. Looming above New York Harbor nearby, the Statue of Liberty provided a majestic welcome to those passing through Ellis Island.

On a plaque at the entrance to the statue’s pedestal is engraved a sonnet called “The New Colossus,” written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus as part of a fundraising contest. Its most famous passage speaks to the statue’s role as a welcoming symbol of freedom and democracy for the millions of immigrants who came to America seeking a new and better life: “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore/Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me/I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” The Statue of Liberty Over the Years Until 1901, the U.S. Lighthouse Board operated the Statue of Liberty, as the statue’s torch represented a navigational aid for sailors. After that date, it was placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. War Department due to Fort Wood’s status as a still-operational army post. In 1924, the federal government made the statue a national monument, and it was transferred to the care of the National Parks Service in 1933.

In 1956, Bedloe’s Island was renamed Liberty Island, and in 1965, more than a decade after its closure as a federal immigration station, Ellis Island became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. By the early 20th century, the oxidation of the Statue of Liberty’s copper skin through exposure to rain, wind and sun had given the statue a distinctive green color, known as verdigris. In 1984, the statue was closed to the public and underwent a massive restoration in time for its centennial celebration. Even as the restoration began, the United Nations designated the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site. On July 5, 1986, the Statue of Liberty reopened to the public in a centennial celebration. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Liberty Island closed for 100 days; the Statue of Liberty itself was not reopened to visitor access until August 2004. In July 2009, the statue’s crown was again reopened to the public, though visitors must make a reservation to climb to the top of the pedestal or to the crown.

Tags Ellis Island History - The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ellis Island History Ellis Island History Ellis Island History On this page you will find a detailed history of Ellis Island. The below text details the actual origin of the island as a location for an immigration hub, all the way to its current status as a national monument. Feel free to jump forward to specific sections, by clicking on a section title in the table of contents below: 1965: Ellis Island Dedicated as a National Monument The Origin of the Island From 1892 to 1954, over twelve million immigrants entered the United States through the portal of Ellis Island, a small island in New York Harbor. Ellis Island is located in the upper bay just off the New Jersey coast, within the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. Through the years, this gateway to the new world was enlarged from its original 3.3 acres to 27.5 acres mostly by landfill obtained from ship ballast and possibly excess earth from the construction of the New York City subway system. Before being designated as the site of the first Federal immigration station by President Benjamin Harrison in 1890, Ellis Island had a varied history.

The local Indian tribes had called it "Kioshk" or Gull Island. Due to its rich and abundant oyster beds and plentiful and profitable shad runs, it was known as Oyster Island for many generations during the Dutch and English colonial periods. By the time Samuel Ellis became the island's private owner in the 1770s, the island had been called Kioshk, Oyster, Dyre, Bucking and Anderson's Island. In this way, Ellis Island developed from a sandy island that barely rose above the high tide mark, into a hanging site for pirates, a harbor fort, ammunition and ordinance depot named Fort Gibson, and finally into an immigration station. From Military Fort to National Gateway From 1794 to 1890 (pre-immigration station period), Ellis Island played a mostly uneventful but still important military role in United States history. When the British occupied New York City during the duration of the Revolutionary War, its large and powerful naval fleet was able to sail unimpeded directly into New York Harbor. Therefore, it was deemed critical by the United States Government that a series of coastal fortifications in New York Harbor be constructed just prior to the War of 1812.

After much legal haggling over ownership of the island, the Federal government purchased Ellis Island from New York State in 1808. Ellis Island was approved as a site for fortifications and on it was constructed a parapet for three tiers of circular guns, making the island part of the new harbor defense system that included Castle Clinton at the Battery, Castle Williams on Governor's Island, Fort Wood on Bedloe's Island and two earthworks forts at the entrance to New York Harbor at the Verrazano Narrows. The fort at Ellis Island was named Fort Gibson in honor of a brave officer killed during the War of 1812. Immigration Policy Embraces the Masses Prior to 1890, the individual states (rather than the Federal government) regulated immigration into the United States. Castle Garden in the Battery (originally known as Castle Clinton) served as the New York State immigration station from 1855 to 1890 and approximately eight million immigrants, mostly from Northern and Western Europe, passed through its doors. These early immigrants came from nations such as England, Ireland, Germany and the Scandinavian countries and constituted the first large wave of immigrants that settled and populated the United States.

Throughout the 1800s and intensifying in the latter half of the 19th century, ensuing political instability, restrictive religious laws and deteriorating economic conditions in Europe began to fuel the largest mass human migration in the history of the world. It soon became apparent that Castle Garden was ill-equipped and unprepared to handle the growing numbers of immigrants arriving yearly. Unfortunately, compounding the problems of the small facility were the corruption and incompetence found to be commonplace at Castle Garden. The Federal government intervened and constructed a new Federally-operated immigration station on Ellis Island. While the new immigration station on Ellis Island was under construction, the Barge Office at the Battery was used for the processing of immigrants. The new structure on Ellis Island, built of "Georgia pine" opened on January 1, 1892. Annie Moore, a teenaged Irish girl, accompanied by her two brothers, entered history and a new country as she was the very first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island. Over the next 62 years, more than 12 million were to follow through this port of entry.

Ellis Island Burns and Years of Records Lost While there were many reasons to immigrate to America, no reason could be found for what would occur only five years after the Ellis Island Immigration Station opened. During the early morning hours of June 15, 1897, a fire on Ellis Island burned the immigration station completely to the ground. Although no lives were lost, many years of Federal and State immigration records dating back to 1855 burned along with the pine buildings that failed to protect them. The United States Treasury quickly ordered the immigration facility be replaced under one very important condition: all future structures built on Ellis Island had to be fireproof. On December 17, 1900, the new Main Building was opened and 2,251 immigrants were received that day. Journeying By Ship to the Land of Liberty While most immigrants entered the United States through New York Harbor (the most popular destination of steamship companies), others sailed into many ports such as Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, Savannah, Miami, and New Orleans. The great steamship companies like White Star, Red Star, Cunard and Hamburg-America played a significant role in the history of Ellis Island and immigration in general.

First and second class passengers who arrived in New York Harbor were not required to undergo the inspection process at Ellis Island. Instead, these passengers underwent a cursory inspection aboard ship, the theory being that if a person could afford to purchase a first or second class ticket, they were less likely to become a public charge in America due to medical or legal reasons. The Federal government felt that these more affluent passengers would not end up in institutions, hospitals or become a burden to the state. However, first and second class passengers were sent to Ellis Island for further inspection if they were sick or had legal problems. This scenario was far different for "steerage" or third class passengers. These immigrants traveled in crowded and often unsanitary conditions near the bottom of steamships with few amenities, often spending up to two weeks seasick in their bunks during rough Atlantic Ocean crossings. Upon arrival in New York City, ships would dock at the Hudson or East River piers. First and second class passengers would disembark, pass through Customs at the piers and were free to enter the United States. The steerage and third class passengers were transported from the pier by ferry or barge to Ellis Island where everyone would undergo a medical and legal inspection.

A Record Year for New Americans During the early 1900s, immigration officials mistakenly thought that the peak wave of immigration had already passed. Actually, immigration was on the rise, and in 1907 more people immigrated to the United States than any other year, a record that would hold for the next 80 years. Approximately 1.25 million immigrants were processed at Ellis Island in that one year. Consequently, masons and carpenters were constantly struggling to enlarge and build new facilities to accommodate this greater than anticipated influx of new immigrants. Hospital buildings, dormitories, contagious disease wards and kitchens all were feverishly constructed between 1900 and 1915. As the United States entered World War I, immigration to the United States decreased. Numerous suspected enemy aliens throughout the United States were brought to Ellis Island under custody. Between 1918 and 1919, detained suspected enemy aliens were transferred from Ellis Island to other locations in order for the United States Navy with the Army Medical Department to take over the island complex for the duration of the war. During this time, regular inspection of arriving immigrants was conducted onboard ship or at the docks.

At the end of World War I, a big "Red Scare" spread across America and thousands of suspected alien radicals were interned at Ellis Island. Hundreds were later deported based upon the principal of guilt by association with any organizations advocating revolution against the Federal government. In 1920, Ellis Island reopened as an immigration receiving station and 225,206 immigrants were processed that year. Arrival at the Island and Initial Inspection If the immigrant's papers were in order and they were in reasonably good health, the Ellis Island inspection process would last approximately three to five hours. The inspections took place in the Registry Room (or Great Hall), where doctors would briefly scan every immigrant for obvious physical ailments. Doctors at Ellis Island soon became very adept at conducting these "six second physicals." By 1916, it was said that a doctor could identify numerous medical conditions (ranging from anemia to goiters to varicose veins) just by glancing at an immigrant. The ship's manifest log, that had been filled out back at the port of embarkation, contained the immigrant's name and his/her answers to twenty-nine questions.

This document was used by the legal inspectors at Ellis Island to cross-examine the immigrant during the legal (or primary) inspection. The two agencies responsible for processing immigrants at Ellis Island were the United States Public Health Service and the Bureau of Immigration (later known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service - INS). On March 1, 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was restructured and included into three separate bureaus as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. For more information on these three bureaus and their mission, visit their websites at the following: Bureau of Customs & Border Protection Despite the island's reputation as an "Island of Tears", the vast majority of immigrants were treated courteously and respectfully, and were free to begin their new lives in America after only a few short hours on Ellis Island. Only two percent of the arriving immigrants were excluded from entry. The two main reasons why an immigrant would be excluded were if a doctor diagnosed that the immigrant had a contagious disease that would endanger the public health or if a legal inspector thought the immigrant was likely to become a public charge or an illegal contract laborer.

Immigration Laws and Regulations Evolve From the very beginning of the mass migration that spanned the years 1880 to 1924, an increasingly vociferous group of politicians and nativists demanded increased restrictions on immigration. Laws and regulations such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Alien Contract Labor Law and the institution of a literacy test barely stemmed this flood tide of new immigrants. Actually, the death knell for Ellis Island, as a major entry point for new immigrants, began to toll in 1921. It reached a crescendo between 1921 with the passage of the Quota Laws and 1924 with the passage of the National Origins Act. These restrictions were based upon a percentage system according to the number of ethnic groups already living in the United States as per the 1890 and 1910 Census. It was an attempt to preserve the ethnic flavor of the "old immigrants", those earlier settlers primarily from Northern and Western Europe. The perception existed that the newly arriving immigrants mostly from Southern and Eastern Europe were somehow inferior to those who arrived earlier. After World War I, the United States began to emerge as a potential world power.

United States embassies were established in countries all over the world, and prospective immigrants now applied for their visas at American consulates in their countries of origin. The necessary paperwork was completed at the consulate and a medical inspection was also conducted there. After 1924, the only people who were detained at Ellis Island were those who had problems with their paperwork, as well as war refugees and displaced persons. Ellis Island still remained open for many years and served a multitude of purposes. During World War II, enemy merchant seamen were detained in the baggage and dormitory building. The United States Coast Guard also trained about 60,000 servicemen there. In November of 1954, the last detainee, a Norwegian merchant seaman named Arne Peterssen, was released, and Ellis Island officially closed. Ellis Island Dedicated as a National Monument In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson declared Ellis Island part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Ellis Island was opened to the public on a limited basis between 1976 and 1984. Starting in 1984, Ellis Island underwent a major restoration, the largest historic restoration in U.S. history.

The $160 million dollar project was funded by donations made to The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. in partnership with the National Park Service. The Main Building was reopened to the public on September 10, 1990, as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. With the completion of the Peopling of America Center® on May 20, 2015, and the entire story of American immigration being told, the museum was renamed the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Today, the museum receives almost 2 million visitors annually. Donate Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty need your support. Donate now to help preserve the islands for future generations. $ have an account? Create a free account to search for family arrival records and learn more about Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. Be a part of history!

Question: Liberty Island in New York harbour was formerly known as what?
Answer: Bedloe’s Island