The Statue of Liberty was once a lighthouse. Everyone is familiar with the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of the promise of America. But few are probably aware that, for a few years early in its existence, it was also officially a lighthouse. And it operated under the authority of the Lighthouse Board.
The lighted torch in Lady Liberty’s right hand had, and still has great symbolic significance. But at its beginning, it was also used as a navigational aid for ships entering New York Harbor.
The History of the Statue
The Statue of Liberty is probably the best-known monument in the world and is a global symbol of freedom and democracy.
Dedicated in New York City on October 28, 1886. The colossal copper-clad statue stands on Liberty Island (formerly Bedloe’s Island) in New York Harbor alongside Ellis Island. The former point of entry to the United States for twelve million immigrants between 1892 and 1954.
Many foreigners arriving by steamships from Europe were greeted by the sight of the Statue of Liberty as one of their first views of America after the two-week long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.
The statue is 151 feet (46 m) tall and rises above a pedestal which in turns sits atop the star-shaped rampart of Fort Wood, one of the early defenses of New York Harbor. In total, the top of the torch rises 305 feet (93 m) above the ground.
The Statue of Liberty was once the tallest manmade structure in New York City (and the United States). It is surpassing the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge and the steeple of Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan. When the Statue of Liberty briefly functioned as a lighthouse from 1886 to 1902, its torch could be seen as far as 24 miles (39 km) away at sea.
During that period, the torch was illuminated by nine Wood arc lamps powered by an on-site generator, making it the first lighthouse in the United States to use electricity.
How the Statue came about
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to mark the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the alliance formed between the two countries during the American Revolutionary War.
The idea of erecting a statue at the entrance to New York Harbor to commemorate Franco-American friendship was inspired by French scholar Édouard René de Laboulaye and created by French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (who also designed the Marquis de Lafayette Statue in Union Square).
While visiting the United States in 1871, Bartholdi selected Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor as the preferred site for a statue depicting the “Goddess of Liberty”.
Liberty Enlightening the World
The statue was originally intended to be presented to the United States for its centennial on July 4, 1876 but achievement of this goal was prevented by the political climate in France and a delayed start in raising funds to pay for the statue.
Officially named Liberty Enlightening the World, the Statue of Liberty depicts a woman wearing a stola—similar to the Roman goddess Libertas—that is holding up a flaming torch to embody enlightenment.
Lady Liberty’s other hand embraces a tablet inscribed with the date of American independence. July 4, 1776 (in Roman numerals), which is symbolic of a nation governed by law. The spikes of her diadem stand for the seven seas and continents. The 25 windows around her crown represent the gemstones found on the earth.
An important feature that cannot be seen by visitors is the broken shackle and chain at the statue’s feet. This symbolizes America’s freedom from oppression and tyranny.
Bartholdi’s design for the Statue of Liberty was remarkably similar to his earlier attempt to construct a colossal statue of a torch-bearing woman at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal, which Egyptian ruler Isma’il Pasha never commissioned due to financial issues.
The Statue as a Lighthouse
The dedication of the Statue of Liberty on October 28, 1886 was marked with great fireworks displays. And New York’s first ever ‘Ticker Tape’ parade. But the equally anticipated debut of the statue’s electric lighting turned out to be an anticlimax. This was marked with weeks of false starts, confusion, and grappling with the new technology.
The first time the statue’s lights were turned on, their angle was miscalculated. However, instead of majestically bathing the statue in light, they cast a shadow that left the statue’s head and shoulders in the dark.
All through the ongoing lighting crisis, the New York World gave a daily, blow-by-blow account of the problems, sparing no one’s feelings in the process. The lighting system, designed by James J. Wood of the American Electric Manufacturing Company, used arc lights powered by a dynamo.
The system was widely praised for its simplicity and effectiveness. The American Electric Manufacturing Company had donated the dynamo. And he also gave other lighting equipment to the statue as a patriotic gesture. Since Congress had so far failed to approve any funding for the lights, but they had only agreed to operate and maintain the lights for one week.
How Did the Statue become a Lighthouse?
The statue was first illuminated at 7:35 p.m. on November 1, 1886. One week after the dedication, frantic government officials pleaded that the lights be left on for another night. Meanwhile, this was so that Frederic Bartholdi, designer of the statue, could view the lighting.
The sculptor was impressed and reacted favorably. On November 7, 1886, the statue went dark for two weeks. The World reported, “The torch of the Goddess of Liberty is suffering from an attack of red tape.”
Initially, the Lighthouse Board worked behind the scenes to secure emergency funding and crew, and President Cleveland finally gave the executive order that authorized the Board to continue the lighting.
The Statue of Liberty became operational as a lighthouse on November 22, 1886. However, the American Electric Manufacturing Company continued to maintain the light for a short time, but shortly after Christmas, Albert E. Littlefield was named the station’s keeper.
Because he had specialized knowledge of electricity, Littlefield received an annual salary of $1,000. It was several hundred dollars more than most head lighthouse keepers received at the time.
Littlefield, his family, and his assistant keepers and their families all lived in a three-story post hospital on the northwest corner of the island. The Statue of Liberty’s torch, 305 feet above sea level, contained nine electric arc lamps that could be seen twenty-four miles out to sea.
Keepers of the Statue
Head: Albert E. Littlefield (1886 – 1902).
First Assistant: Ira Watts (1886 – 1887), Eugene Newton (1887 – 1888), George W. Cornell (1888), Edward Manning (1888 – 1889), Henry C. Fanning (1889), W.P. Sturtevant (1889 – 1890), Charles Miller (1890 – 1898), Martin F. Cody (1898 – 1902).
Second Assistant: Henry Brewster (1886 – 1887), Eugene Newton (1887), John Dunleavy (1887), George W. Cornell (1887 – 1888), Edward Manning (1888), W.P. Sturtevant (1888 – 1889), Charles Miller (1889 – 1890), Martin F. Cody (1890 – 1898), Ole N.A. Anderson (1898 – 1899).
Third Assistant: Patrick Gilligan (1886 – 1888), Daniel Sullivan (1888).
Fourth Assistant: Michael Coady (1886 – 1888), Bernard Monahan (1888).
