Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, south of Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, as a portion of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. In 1800, New York surrendered both islands to the federal government. Although being on the New Jersey side of the state line, the original islands remain New York territory, as established in an 1834 agreement between New York and New Jersey that fixed the state boundary at the bays halfway. One of the islands that make up the Manhattan borough of New York is Liberty Island. New Jersey territory has been added to the 2.3-acre (0.93 hectares) original island at Ellis Island due to reclamation. Check this out here
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge declared the Statue of Liberty a component of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. In 1965, the monument was enlarged to encompass Ellis Island. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were together the following year and the statue alone in 2017. In 1971, the Statue of Liberty National Monument was listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. In 1976, it was recognized as a New York City landmark.
The Statue of Liberty was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The monument is described as a “masterpiece of the human spirit” that “endures as a very effective symbol—inspiring thought, discussion, and protest—of principles like liberty, peace, human rights, abolition of slavery, democracy, and opportunity,” according to the UNESCO “Statement of Significance.”
The Statue of Liberty (known as the Liberty Enlightening the World; French – La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a massive neoclassical monument on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, New York City, United States. French artist Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the copper statue, and Gustave Eiffel erected its metal structure as a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. It was dedicated on October 28, 1886.
Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess, is shown in the statue. With her right hand, she holds a torch over her head. With her left, she has a tabula ansata emblazoned with JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776), the date of the United States Declaration of Independence. As she goes onward, a broken shackle and chain fall at her feet, signifying the recent national abolition of slavery. The monument became a symbol of freedom and the United States after its dedication and a sign of welcome for immigrants coming by sea. Up next is High Line
The statue was managed by the United States Lighthouse Board until 1901 and then by the Department of War. As part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, it has been maintained by the National Park Service (NPS) since 1933 and is a popular tourist attraction. Since 1916, public access to the balcony around the flame has been restricted.
Contact the National Park Service at (212) 363-3200 to learn more about the Statue of Liberty.