On This Day In History: 131 Years Ago Statue of Liberty Arrived In New York Harbor – On June 17, 1885

MessageToEagle.com – On June 17, 1885 -131 years ago, the most iconic monument in the U.S – the Statue of Liberty – arrived in New York harbor.

A gift of friendship from France to commemorate the ideals shared by French and American governments, the statue arrived in New York harbor in more than 300 pieces packed in more than 200 cases, according to the National Parks Service.

The copper statue was assembled over the course of several months on what was then called Bedloe’s Island, according to the National Parks Service, before being commemorated on October 28, 1886.

The artist who designed the statue, Auguste Bartholdi, said he chose to put the statue on what is now known as Liberty island because of its location in the busy harbor.

Batholdi modeled the design after his mother, and received help creating the internal skeletal structure from engineer Gustave Eiffel, who at the same time was completing his eponymous tower for the 1889 World’s Fair.

The statue has been dedicated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a National Monument and a New York City landmark. It’s continuously visited by millions of people worldwide every year and is one of the most impressive and symbolic sites in the nation.

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