Arrival and Assembly

An illustration published in the July 7, 1885 issue of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper depicting the statue pieces being unloaded onto Bedloe's Island. Courtesy of the Library of Congress

An illustration published in the July 7, 1885 issue of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper depicting the statue pieces being unloaded onto Bedloe’s Island. Courtesy of the Library of Congress

By the time crews completed the eighty-nine foot high pedestal in May of 1886, Lady Liberty had been in crates on the island for nearly an entire year. The time had come to erect the statue, now over twenty years in the making.

liberty under construction

Drawing of the Statue of Liberty under construction, 1886. Courtesy of The National Park Service

Construction proved to be a daunting task. While copper segments had been numbered for reassembly, the pieces became disorganized on the island, thereby making the puzzle more difficult to solve. Shipping also damaged the edges of some sections, making seamless reassembly very difficult.

Hoisting the pieces into the correct place proved laborious as well. As the statue grew taller, crews worked in teams. One crew lifted pieces into position with cables, the other riveted the section in place, with workers suspended from the iron frame. The construction site became such a spectacle that the Franco-American Union ran ferry boats of tourists around the island to get a glimpse.

Despite the complexity of installation, the project moved along rather quickly, though not rapidly enough to open in time for the 1886 Fourth of July celebration. Crews completed “Liberty Enlightening the World” in six months and the public unveiling was set for October of 1886.

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