Liberty Enlightening the World was originally intended as a gift to celebrate the 100th anniversary of America's independence in 1876, but the monument took longer to finish and wasn’t completed until ten years later. In preparation of the Statue, the U. S. built a supporting pedestal on Bedloe’s Island.

The magnificent statue rising from New York’s Harbor inspired the world and symbolically marked the entrance to America for incoming vessels. Because of Liberty’s island location, her importance as a navigational aid necessitated a lighted beacon for mariners. Government officials called on the U.S. Lighthouse Board for help in lighting Liberty. They appointed a Lightkeeper, Mr. A. E. Littlefield, and converted a former hospital into a Keeper’s Headquarters. 

Engineers hoped the statue would take the lead of all the lighthouses on the coast by being the first light mariners would discover when heading for New York. After cutting holes in the solid flame, lanterns cast their light through the inserted glass. Unfortunately, the beams were indistinguishable from the New York skyline. A floodlighting scheme was next, shining bright lights up onto the statue, but this technique cast strange shadows. Eventually, officials replaced the glass-studded flame with a recreation of Bartholdi’s original design, plated with 24-karat gold leaf and illuminated by powerful spotlights.