Remember when? Statue of Liberty restorations in 1986

From 1986: Statue of Liberty restoration underway

This archived package from FOX 5 WAGA shows the painstaking process of some of Lady Liberty’s restorations from 1984-1986 ahead of her centennial. Originally reported by Kevin Cokely on July 2, 1986.

The Statue of Liberty underwent an expansive restoration in the mid ‘80s, ahead of its centennial. 

Statue of Liberty restoration

FILE - View, looking northeast, of the torch of the Statue of Liberty, surrounded by scaffolding, during an extensive restoration project in anticipation of its 100-year anniversary, New York, New York. (Photo by Library of Congress/Interim Archives/

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Big picture view:

After nearly 100 years of weathering New York Harbor, the torch was in need of replacement, her crown’s rays were in need of strengthening, and pieces of her gown, hair and face needed repairs, according to the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation. 

A group of French men performed some of the most painstaking work, creating a new torch taken from the original design.

Dig deeper:

But she also needed major interior work to prevent further corrosion. 

The 1,800 iron bars that held the copper skin to its "skeleton" were rusting, and were replaced with stainless steel bars to prevent further corrosion.  

FILE - Side-by-side images of when the Statue of Liberty was scaffolded from head to toe to undertake unprecedented restorative methods undertaken by many scientists, engineers, government organisations and metallurgical consultants. (Getty Images)

Timeline:

Fundraising for renovation and preservation for the statue began in the early 1980s. 

In 1984, scaffolding was erected around the exterior of the statue and construction began on the interior. 

The restoration was completed in 1986 and the statue's centennial was celebrated on the Fourth of July that year with fireworks and fanfare. On July 5th, a new Statue of Liberty exhibit opened in the base of the pedestal.

The outcome:

Many Americans were expecting the restoration to make the statue look new like a shiny penny, but Liberty’s delicate copper skin was too thin to be polished. That’s why she’s still green. 

As for the structural work, 10 years after the interior work was completed, inspections confirmed the plan had worked. All previous corrosion impacts had been reversed, and no new problems were detected, according to the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, which was integral to course correcting the corrosion. 

America’s 250th

What's next:

The restoration was done in time for the statue’s centennial in 1986, which also marked the 200th anniversary of America’s freedom. 

Next year, 2026, marks America’s 250th birthday, with plans and the countdown already underway for special celebrations.