Save Ellis Island facts for kids
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| Founded | 1999 |
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| Legal status | 501(c)(3) |
| Purpose | To rehabilitate and beneficially reuse 29 historic hospital buildings on Ellis Island's South side in order to save this national treasure and to preserve and interpret the history of immigration to America through Ellis Island and the stories of the 1.2 million people who were hospitalized in the first and largest United States public health hospital in the early 20th century. |
| Headquarters | 31 US Highway 206, Suite 3E, Augusta, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Catherine Burke | |
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President, Chief Executive Officer
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Janis Calella |
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Revenue (2017)
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$1,145,038 |
| Expenses (2017) | $696,975 |
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Employees (2016)
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10 |
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Volunteers (2016)
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35 |
Save Ellis Island is a special group that started in 1999. They work with the National Park Service to fix up and save 29 old hospital buildings on the south side of Ellis Island in New York Harbor. These buildings are part of the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital. The group helps keep this important national place safe. They also share the stories of the many people who came to America through Ellis Island.
Contents
Why is Ellis Island Important?
Ellis Island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. It was a main entry point for people coming to America. It opened in 1892. Over 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. The busiest year was 1907, with 1.25 million people arriving.
People came from all over the world. They wanted to escape problems like war or unfair treatment. Many just hoped for a better life and the "American Dream." Today, it is thought that one out of three Americans has an ancestor who came through Ellis Island.
The Ellis Island Hospital
The Ellis Island Hospital was a very large hospital. It had 750 beds. Over 1.2 million patients were treated there. About 250,000 immigrants got help for illnesses like tuberculosis, measles, and other sicknesses that spread easily. More than 350 babies were also born at the hospital.
This hospital complex had 29 buildings. It was the biggest U.S. Public Health Service hospital in the United States at the time. Immigrants who were sick or not well were treated there. They could enter the country once they were healthy. The hospital had special areas for new mothers, mental health, and diseases that spread easily. It even had a laundry and a morgue.
Bringing the Hospital Back to Life
The hospital buildings on the south side of Ellis Island were closed for 60 years. On October 1, 2014, they opened to visitors for the first time. This showed a part of immigration history that many people did not know about. About one out of ten immigrants who came to Ellis Island needed medical help at this hospital.
Save Ellis Island works with the National Park Service (NPS). They have raised money to make the hospital buildings safe and start fixing them. Their goal is to save these important buildings. They want to share the stories of the 1.2 million people who were treated there.
First Steps in Restoration
The south side of Ellis Island is mostly taken up by the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital. Work to restore it began in 2000. Fixing the outside and some parts of the inside started in 2006. This work cost $6.4 million.
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On April 2, 2007, Save Ellis Island and the National Park Service finished their first project. They restored the Ellis Island Ferry Building. This building is in the center of the island.
