The Statue of Liberty’s torch was used as a lighthouse for 16 years, from 1886 until 1902. After the statue’s dedication, the United States Lighthouse Board treated the torch as an official navigational beacon.
The light was produced by electric arc lamps installed inside the torch. At the time, using electricity in a lighthouse was technologically notable, and the Statue of Liberty became an early example of electric lighthouse illumination in the United States. The beacon was intended to help guide ships into New York Harbor.
In practice, the torch was not especially effective. The light was difficult to see clearly from the sea, and officials later judged the statue’s lighthouse function unsuccessful. Administration eventually passed from the Lighthouse Board to the War Department, ending its lighthouse status in 1902.
This history is often confused with the torch’s later role as a symbol rather than a navigational aid. The torch still represents enlightenment and freedom, but it no longer operates as a lighthouse. The original torch was replaced during the 1980s restoration and is now preserved in the Statue of Liberty Museum.