Statue of Liberty National Monument, Ellis Island and Liberty Island
Also known as: Ellis Island; Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World
Why it's listed
Liberty Island and Ellis Island in upper New York Harbor together form a national monument tied to American ideals and immigration. On Liberty Island, the copper Statue of Liberty, designed by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, was built in France between 1875 and 1884 and dedicated in 1886. It rises 152 feet above a granite-faced pedestal designed by Richard Morris Hunt, set within the eleven-point star of Fort Wood, a harbor fortification built in 1811 and rebuilt in 1844. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel designed the iron framework supporting the copper sheets. The statue was conceived as a joint memorial to French and American friendship, and public subscription organized by Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper paid for the pedestal. Nearby Ellis Island served as the federal immigration station from 1892 to 1954, processing upwards of 16 million arrivals. Its main building and great examination hall remain its best-known features. Ellis Island became part of the monument in 1965.
Significance in brief: The Statue of Liberty is argued to be universally significant for its physical scale and its symbolism of liberty and opportunity, as well as for its sculptural and engineering achievement. Fort Wood is noted as an outstanding example of a non-bastioned star fort. Ellis Island is significant as the gateway for more than 16 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 66000058, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Liberty Island, New York Harbor, New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000058 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1875-1884 |
| Architect / builder | Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (statue); Richard Morris Hunt (pedestal); Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (iron framework) |
| Areas of significance | Art, Military, Engineering, European, Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Liberty Island is a developed, publicly accessible area with a museum. The Ellis Island form describes buildings unheated since 1954, with preservation work in progress and the site not in use. |
| Acreage | 40.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.69400, -74.04433 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 66000058.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q359939
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.