Who paid for Ellis Island?

Ellis dies in 1794, and in 1808 New York State buys the island for $10,000. The U.S. War Department pays the state for the right to use Ellis Island to build military fortifications and store ammunition, beginning during the War of 1812.



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Fact Sheet: Ellis Island - Statue of Liberty NM
  • Welcomed Immigrants from Around the World.
  • Established: May 11, 1965 as part of Statue of Liberty.
  • Location: Mouth of the Hudson River, New York Harbor, Ellis Island.
  • Overview: Opened on January 1, 1892, Ellis Island became the nation's premier federal immigration station.


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Ellis Island
  • Location: New York Harbor.
  • Immigrants processed: 19 million.
  • Number rejected: 1.2 million.
  • Percentage rejected: 6%
  • Average length of stay: 1 day.


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The hospitals of Ellis Island were shuttered in 1930 as immigration slowed, and they were abandoned in 1954.

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Meanwhile, nearly half of all immigrants who arrived in 1907 spoke no English at all. Today's immigrants are much more skilled compared to their 1907 counterparts.

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Historic Immigration Station From 1892 to 1924, Ellis Island was America's largest and most active immigration station, where over 12 million immigrants were processed. On average, the inspection process took approximately 3-7 hours.

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