06/17/2026
Flint McFarlan Veterans Memorial Park OnThisDate - On this day in 1885, the disassembled Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard a French Navy frigate. "Shipped from France in 214 crates, the monument was broken down into 350 individual copper and iron pieces. The statue was a gift from the people of France to the United States to commemorate the centennial of the American Revolution and the abolition of slavery. Because the pedestal on Bedloe's Island was not yet finished, the giant "puzzle" remained in storage for months while American fundraisers, notably publisher Joseph Pulitzer, secured the money needed to complete the structure. The famous monument was officially reassembled and dedicated the following year on October 28, 1886." (Postal Museum/Smithsonian Open Access image)