Statue of Liberty

New York, New York: For decades there has not been a greater symbol of American Freedom then the Statue of Liberty. Standing tall at the mouth of New York Harbor, Lady Liberty has been a welcoming sight to those making the journey in search of a better life in America.

The statue is a gift to the United States by the people of France. It was designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and inspired by Édouard René de Laboulaye.

The project was announced in 1875 and was named Liberty Enlightening the World. The completed statue was presented to Ambassador Morton in Paris on July 4, 1884. The statue remained on display in Paris until January 1885 when it was disassemlbled for delivery to the United States.

The delivery of the statue in the states was delayed due to the difficulty in obtaining funding for the pedestal. The United States was going through a depression and the government did not have the ability to obtain the funding.

The pedestal was planned to be 114 feet tall but was reduced to 89 feet due to reduction in funding. It was laid in the center of Fort Wood, a Civil War army base in the middle of New York Harbor. The base was constructed so the statue would face southeast to greet ships as they enter the harbor.

Fundraising efforts by legislation failed when Governor Grover Cleveland vetoed a bill to provide $50,000 in funding in 1884 and then again in 1885 when Congress failed to approve $100,000 in funds. The committee that was overseeing the pedestal construction suspended work due to lack of money. Then newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer stepped in and announced a fundraiser drive that help steer the project into completion. In five months, Pulitzer’s drive had collected $102,000.

The pedestal was completed in April 1886. Work then quickly began on reassembling the statue. When the statue was completed, Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmstead came in and finished up the island.

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, ironically by President Grover Cleveland, who vetoed the project as governor of New York. The dedication ceremony began as a ticker tape parade from Madison Square to Battery Park. From there the parade hit the water from Battery Park to the island. Only political dignitaries were able to attend the ceremony on the island in which the statue was transferred to the American people.

The statue was originally managed by the United State Lighthouse Board. The statue was to be used as a lighthouse, however the beam of light was too dull to be used as a lighthouse. In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt transferred control of the island to the War Department. Then in 1933, the statue was transferred once again, this time to the National Park Service who still oversees the operations today. Work was done to transform the island from a base to a park.

Throughout the years, the statue was closed for renovations to keep with the changing times. In 1938 repairs to the copper sheathing an stairs forced the statue to be closed for several month. Then in 1984, the statue was closed for major renovations to make repairs to prevent the statue from suffering from structural failure. The statue remained closed to the public until 1986. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the statue and island was closed again due to fear of terrorism. The island was reopened by the end of the year, but no one was allowed back into the statue until 2004. Another major safety renovation is scheduled for 2011 in which the statue will close to the public for approximately nine months.

The Statue of Liberty was declared a national monument in 1924. Then in 1984, the United Nations declared the Statue of Liberty as a Word Heritage Site.

Tours of the Statue depart Battery Park several times daily. The tour ticket includes ferry service to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Admission to both national parks are free however there is a fee for the privately operated ferry service and a special ticket is required to enter the Statue of Liberty. There is no additional charges to enter the statue however the tickets sell out fast and anticipate long lines due to security and limited number of people allowed in at one time.

For photos of the statue, visit my Statue of Liberty photo gallery.