Did you know that even though it is an iconic symbol of New York, the Statue of Liberty (and Liberty Island) is actually located within in the state of New Jersey and surrounded by it’s waters??? Apparently, it is all complicated and involved some legal and jurisdictional disputes but it has been agreed that the visible portion of the island (including the statue) fall under New York while the submerged portion belong to New Jersey! Weird but true!
I didn’t get to visit the statue itself but seeing it while taking the Staten Island Ferry was an experience in itself.
Here are a few more interesting facts about this amazing structure:
1) The statue’s full name is Liberty Enlightening the World
2) The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and the seven continents of the world
3) The statue has an iron infrastructure and copper exterior which has turned green due to oxidation. Although it’s a sign of damage, the patina (green coating) also acts as a form of protection from further deterioration.
4) The statue will be 133 years old in October this year (2018)
5) The $100K needed to erect it was actually crowd sourced with donations of $1 or less from the readers of the New York World newspaper