On this day: The Cornerstone Was Laid For The Statue of Liberty

Tuesday, 5th August 2014 by

On August 5, 1884, the cornerstone was laid for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty on Bledloe's Island, which was later renamed Liberty Island. While France was providing the statue, the US had to pay for its pedestal, though various levels of government were hesitant to get involved. Construction work was delayed and eventually completed two years later, after $100,000+ was raised in a fundraising campaign which targeted ordinary Americans, with most donations being less than a dollar.

Statue of Liberty

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Ian Brown lives in Ottawa, Canada, and spends his spare time perusing maps to find new routes to ride on his orange bicycle.