NPS - Statue of Liberty National Monument On October 15, 1924, a Presidential Proclamation declared Fort Wood (and the Statue of Liberty within it) a National Monument which set the monument's boundary at the outer edge of Fort Wood. In 1933, the care and administration of the National Monument was transferred to the National Park Service. On September 7, 1937, jurisdiction was enlarged to encompass all of Bedloe's Island. In 1956 the island's name was changed to Liberty Island. In May of 1965, the park's boundaries expanded once again when Ellis Island was transferred to the National Park Service by President Lyndon B. Johnson and became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. In May of 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca to head up a private sector effort to restore the Statue of Liberty. Fundraising began for the $86 million restoration under a public/private partnership between the National Park Service and the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., to date the most successful such partnership in American history. In 1984, at the start of the Statue's restoration, the United Nations designated the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site. The newly restored Statue opened to the public on July 5, 1986 during Liberty Weekend, which celebrated her centennial. According to Bartholdi, the copper used in creating the Statue weighs approximately 176,000 pounds, and the total weight of the structure is almost 440,000 pounds. The copper sheeting of the Statue is 3/32 of an inch thick or 2.37mm (thickness of 2 pennies put together). Wind sway: winds of 50 miles per hour cause the Statue to sway 3 inches (7.62cm) and the torch sways 5 inches (12.70cm). Click here for Statue Statistics On October 28th, 1886 the Statue of Liberty was inaugurated. President Grover Cleveland accepted the Statue on behalf of the United States. On October 28, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt presided at the Statue's 50th anniversary and repeated President Cleveland's speech in part: " We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected." The National Park Service, in conjunction with the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW, celebrate the Statue of Liberty's anniversary each October 28th. |
Last updated: December 30, 2024