![]() | Morris Pesin Drive Jersey City, NJ 07305 201-915-3403 or 3404 |
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Park hours: 6:00AM to 10:00PM, Daily
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On the New York Harbor, less than 2,000 feet from the Statue of Liberty, Liberty State Park has served a vital
role in the development of New Jersey's metropolitan region and the history of the nation.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries the area that is now Liberty State Park was a major waterfront
industrial area with an extensive freight and passenger transportation network. This network became the lifeline
of New York City and the harbor area. The heart of this transportation network was the Central Railroad of New
Jersey Terminal (CRRNJ), located in the northern portion of the park.
The CRRNJ Terminal stands with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to unfold one of this nation's most
dramatic stories: the immigration of northern, southern, and eastern Europeans into the United States. After
being greeted by the Statue of Liberty and processed at Ellis Island, these immigrants purchased tickets and
boarded trains, at the CRRNJ Terminal, that took them to their new homes throughout the United States. The
Terminal served these immigrants as the gateway to the realization of their hopes and dreams of a new life in
America.
Today, Liberty State Park continues to serve a vital role in the New York Harbor area. As the railroads and
industry declined, the land was abandoned and became a desolate dump site. With the development of Liberty
State Park came a renaissance of the waterfront. Land with decaying buildings, overgrown tracks and piles of
debris was transformed into a modern urban state park. The park was formally opened on Flag Day, June 14,
1976, as New Jersey's bicentennial gift to the nation. Most of this 1,122 acre park is open space with
approximately 300 acres developed for public recreation. The CRRNJ Terminal has been saved and stands
with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to form America's Historic Trilogy.
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Your Ancestors' Story |
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UrbanTimes.com
Leon Yost [email protected] |