Cultural Landscape Report for Liberty Island

Report Cover: The Statue of Liberty, looking south from the exterior steps of the new Statue of Liberty Museum

Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation

When the National Park Service began its stewardship of Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1937, we undertook a redesign of the Bedloe’s Island landscape to complement the Statue of Liberty and provide for the comfort of future visitors. This was the first time that the Statue and Bedloe’s Island would be brought together into a unified design. Landscape architect Norman T. Newton created the 1939 master plan that would transform Bedloe’s Island. Newton’s plan was intended to attract visitors to the island and provide a proper setting for the Statue, now a national monument. Work on the island was completed by 1957. The renovation transformed the island from an unused military installation into a park. To commemorate this event, Bedloe’s Island was renamed Liberty Island in 1956 through a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

With a longstanding recognition of the significance of the island and its setting, this report developed by the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, describes in detail the evolution of the Liberty Island landscape and documents those individuals playing a major role in shaping its design and physical appearance. A full understanding of the significance of this cultural landscape will ensure better protection of the island’s nationally significant resources and a more complete and meaningful experience for visitors.

John Piltzecker
Superintendent, Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island

View the Cultural Landscape Report