On this day 125 years ago, the Statue of Liberty ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’ was dedicated in New York harbor. It was a gift from the people of France in recognition of the friendship developed during the American Revolution. Today, the statue has come to be a symbol of freedom and democracy. The statue was placed so that it faces the southeast portion of the harbor, so that it is visible to all when entering the harbor.
“The day will include a naturalization ceremony musical performances, a gun salute, a U.S. Coast Guard sponsored Flotilla, FDNY Fireboat water spout display, a presentation of “Gifts of Friendship” to a representative of the French government, and the ceremonial ‘lighting’ of the new ‘torch webcam’ that will showcase views of NY Harbor and the Statue from the vantage point of Lady Liberty’s torch. For the 75th year, Ladies Auxiliary will honor the Statue of Liberty with a program that includes music and speeches. The day will conclude with a Macy’s fireworks spectacular surrounding Liberty Island to mark the anniversary. The fireworks will be viewable from Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, and Liberty State Park as well as from live feeds from the new ‘torch cam’ to viewers around the world. The fireworks will begin at 7:45 pm and last approximately 12 minutes. Win1010 will be airing the musical score that was written to accompany the fireworks.” –National Park Service
Have you been to visit Lady Liberty? You can take a ride via Statue Cruises to visit Liberty Island or you can take a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island or vice versa, and there you’ll see her standing proudly in the harbor with her torch in the air. Often times we get into our daily routines that we forget to remember how we. Next time you ride the Staten Island Ferry, you visit Battery Park, or you have the Statue of Liberty in view ignore the tourists taking photos and the chatter and just remember the sacrifices that were made and the lives that were impacted.
Here are some facts on Lady Liberty from the National Park Service (NPS):
Weight of copper: 62,000 lbs. (31 tons).
Weight of steel: 250,000 lbs. (125 tons).
Weight of concrete foundation: 54,000,000 lbs.
Thickness of copper sheeting is: 3/32in. or the thickness of two pennies placed together.
Wind Sway: 50 mph winds cause the Statue to sway up to 3 inches and the torch up to 6 inches.
Torch: a symbol of enlightenment. The current torch is a 1986 replacement of the original, now in the lobby. The new torch is copper, covered in 24k. gold leaf. Sunlight reflects off the gold during the daytime and floodlights (16), light the torch by reflection at night.
Crown: There are 25 windows in the crown which symbolize gemstones and the heaven’s rays shining over the world.
Rays of Crown: The seven rays represent the seven seas and continents of the world.
After today’s celebration the Statue of Liberty will close for an extended period of time to undergo a year-long renovation project. Liberty Island will still be open to the public to visit the statue and its grounds, but no visitors will be allowed inside the statue. The interior of the base of the Statue, and the historic fort that is the foundation of the Statue, are scheduled for necessary upgrades.
A Girl Travels 