Ellis Island, though it closed in 1954, is still the symbol of immigration for many who came to the United States via this portal. It holds a special place in history for the 12 million immigrants who passed through its doors, and for their countless descendants.
History of Ellis Island
Ellis Island is a small island in New York Harbor close to the Statue of Liberty. It was named Ellis Island for Samuel Ellis, who purchased it in the 1770s. Prior to that time it was called "Kioshk" or Gull Island, and at various other times it was called Oyster, Dyre, Bucking, and Anderson’s Island. Ownership eventually passed to the state of New York, and it was purchased by the Federal government in 1808. Fort Gibson was built upon the island as part of a harbor defense system.
It wasn’t until 1890, though, that it became an immigration station. Before that year, immigration was the responsibility of states, not the federal government. Castle Garden acted as the station for New York from 1855 to 1890, serving about eight million immigrants. Gradually, as immigration to the United States intensified, it became clear that facilities at Castle Garden were not sufficient to handle the vast numbers of people now heading to the U.S.
Two years later, in 1892, the Ellis Island Immigration Station was opened. It included buildings to house and feed immigrants during processing, and a hospital to treat those who arrived sick. Most immigrants were there for only a few hours; about two percent were not admitted right away. Those with contagious diseases, or likely to become a “public charge” were not allowed to leave the island.
After only five years, the immigration station burned, but was quickly rebuilt with more attention paid to fireproofing. The new main building was opened in December of 1900, but as immigration to the U.S. continued to rise, more hospital buildings, dormitories, and kitchens were constructed.
Military Uses of Ellis Island -- WWI
Immigration began to slow during World War I, and some of the Ellis Island facilities were used temporarily to house suspected enemy aliens. They were then moved out so that U.S. military operations could use the island for wartime activities. Those immigrants who arrived during the war were processed on board their ships or on the docks.
At the end of the war, thousands of suspected “alien radicals” were housed on the island; hundreds were deported.
Ellis Reopens Briefly for Immigrants
Ellis Island reopened in 1920 as a receiving station. However, during the 1920s Americans became more isolationist and suspicious of aliens, so that a variety of laws limiting immigrants to the U.S. were passed. By 1924 Ellis Island had become a detention facility, not a portal for welcoming immigrants to the U.S.
Ellis Island as a Detention Center -- WWII
During World War II the facilities at Ellis Island were once again used for detaining both aliens and suspicious citizens. At the same time, the U.S Coast Guard used the area to train servicemen. Finally, in 1954, the last detainee was released and the island officially closed.
In 1965 Ellis Island became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and was partially opened to the public from 1976 to 1984. That year a restoration project began for the main building, the railroad ticket office, and some adjacent buildings. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum opened in 1990.
The Ellis Island Immigration Museum
Although the Immigration Museum tells the story of immigrants to the U.S., there are many other buildings on the island that have not been restored. In 1998, 22.5 of Ellis Island’s 27.5 acres were deeded to the State of New Jersey. The New Jersey land contains 30 unrestored buildings, most of which belonged to the U. S. Public Health Service. A non-profit corporation called Save Ellis Island, Inc., was created to restore these buildings and open them to the public.
So far two of the buildings have been restored (one is open to the public) and all the buildings have been stabilized. The art deco Ferry Building, which opened as a museum in 2007, focuses on the hospital and immigrant stories. The building provided access to ferries to New Jersey, the route taken by two-thirds of the Ellis Island immigrants as they left the island. The other third went to Manhattan.
The current project, the Laundry and Hospital Outbuilding, will be linked to the Ferry Building via a pedestrian walkway. Visitors will see various areas of the laundry as it was about 1920, with the machinery and linens displayed, with oral history kiosks that explain the workings of the building.
More Buildings Await Restoration
Many more buildings at Ellis Island have not yet been restored. These buildings, once home to one of the largest Public Health Service facilities in the U. S., still have stories to tell. When completed, the renovated Ellis Island will help millions of visitors understand what their ancestors experienced in the first days of their lives in their adopted country.
Sources:
Ellis Island’s Ferry Building Opens, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Margaret Foster, Apr. 3, 2007
Statue of Liberty --Ellis Island Foundation
Katharine Garstka - Katharine Garstka specializes in genealogical research and in historical and genealogical writing.
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