Historic Ellis Island Ferry Building to Be First South Side Building Open to Public in Over 50 Years

Ellis Island, NJ, March 28, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Today, Save Ellis Island, Inc. (SEI) and the National Park Service (NPS) announced the completion of a project to restore the historic Ellis Island Ferry Building, the first building to be opened on the New Jersey portion of Ellis Island. Work on the exterior began in 2000; interior restoration started in 2006. The project, funded by a combination of federal and New Jersey state funds and private financing, including substantial grants from the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund, “Save America’s Treasures,” Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation and Tourism Cares will reopen the building to the public after more than 50 years. The building will be operated and maintained by SEI under a formal agreement with the NPS.

Cynthia R. Garrett, superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, remembers how the building looked when she first came to the park in 1998: “It was in deplorable condition, but you could still sense its original grandeur. To see it now restored, as immigrants saw it on the last leg of their journey to America, is a delight. The Ellis Island Immigration Station’s story cannot be fully told without the restoration of the south side of the island, and Save Ellis Island is to be commended for their tireless efforts to help us turn a long-held vision into reality.”

According to Judy McAlpin, president of Save Ellis Island, “The restoration of the Ferry Building marks an important milestone for Save Ellis Island, the National Park Service and New Jersey because it is the gateway to the unrestored portion of Ellis Island and the first of the structures located in New Jersey to be fully restored. It is also significant because the restored Ferry Building will serve as the platform for new educational and programming opportunities for all who visit and want to learn about Ellis Island.”

The Ellis Island Immigration station opened in 1892. After processing more than 12 million immigrants, the facility, including the 750-bed hospital complex, was closed in 1954. The hospital buildings located on the New Jersey portion of Ellis Island, also known as the south side of Ellis Island, have been vacant, deteriorating and closed to the public since that time. The Ferry Building served as the departure point for immigrants who successfully passed their legal and health inspections. About two-thirds of the 12 million Ellis Island immigrants took the ferry to New Jersey and the remainder took the ferry to lower Manhattan.

The present Ferry Building, a 1934 PWA project in the Art Deco style, replaced an earlier structure that served the same purpose. The Ferry Building makes an important contribution to the story of Ellis Island, and to its significance as a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. All restoration work was carefully planned and executed to meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation.

The exterior work involved extensive masonry repairs, a new roof, and the restoration of the steel windows and the ornate lead-coated copper cupola. Interior work included detailed restoration of historic finishes and fixtures, such as the decorative plaster cornice, terracotta wainscot, terrazzo flooring and a large bronze chandelier. In addition, new electrical, HVAC and fire protection systems were installed.

At the grand opening event, Save Ellis Island unveiled its first exhibition, “Future in the Balance: Immigrants, Public Health and Ellis Island’s Hospitals.” The exhibit explains the history of Ellis Island’s U.S. Public Health Service hospital from the perspectives of the immigrant patients, doctors, nurses, military personnel and support staff that populated the buildings between 1901 and 1954. This exhibit complements the stories told in the Main Building of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, and will serve as the basis for educational and public programs that explore this country’s view of immigration in the early twentieth century, including how health was used as a criterion for admission. The exhibit will be open to the public on a regular schedule as a guided tour.

About Save Ellis Island, Inc.

Save Ellis Island, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the National Park Service designated partner for fundraising and programming to rehabilitate and beneficially re-use the remaining thirty unrestored buildings on Ellis Island. Untouched since the island closed in 1954, the complex will come to life again in the coming years, completing Ellis Island’s story as a major gateway to America. Once the largest U.S. Public Health Service hospital in the country, constructed to treat ill and infirm immigrants, plans for the buildings call for the Ellis Island Institute and Conference Center, hosting public programs and conferences primarily focused on issues that affect us all – human migration and public health. In addition to convening conferences, the Institute will welcome visitors with exhibitions, interactive programming, festivals and performances that educate and engage audiences of all ages. For more information, visit www.saveellisisland.org or call 973-347-8400.

Contact: Liz Thomas  
Thomas/Boyd Communications 856-642-6226 ext. 13
Darren Boch
National Park Service 212-668-2251

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