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On this video you will get a glimpse of the unrestored historic buildings on Ellis Island. The significance of these buildings and the stories they hold are an important part of the American landscape and the story of immigration to the United States. Through the efforts of Save Ellis Island and the National Park Service, the buildings were stabilized to prevent further deterioration but remain closed and off limits to the general public since the mid 1950’s. In 2007, Save Ellis Island completed the restoration of the Ferry Building and it is now open to the general public by guided tour.

Video notes:
Judith R. McAlpin retired as President of Save Ellis Island, Inc. in September 2011. She was succeeded by Janis Calella. Cynthia Garrett retired as Superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island in 2009. David Luchsinger succeeded Cynthia Garrett as Superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 2009.

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The Other Side of Ellis Island

Interviewed recently on NBC’s The Debrief with David Ushery, Save Ellis Island Board Member and renowned photographer, Stephen Wilkes, took David Ushery on a tour of the unrestored historic buildings on Ellis Island.

Walking through the hospital buildings, corridors and contagious disease wards, Stephen talked about the history of the buildings and his work as a Board Member with the foundation, Save Ellis Island.

Working with the National Park Service, Save Ellis Island is the non-profit organization founded in 2000 to raise the funds for and oversee the restoration of the unrestored historic buildings on Ellis Island.

Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom - In 1998, photographer Stephen Wilkes was asked to walk the grounds of Ellis Island’s south side and spend one hour documenting what 50 years of exposure to the elements did to the empty hospital buildings on Ellis Island. He took one look and then spent five years, coming back again and again, in different seasons, to capture the beauty of the south side before it was cleared and the buildings stabilized in hopes that one day the buildings would be restored.

Find out how you can receive an autographed copy of Stephen’s unforgettable book Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom, please click here.