Which U.S. president presided over the Statue of Liberty’s dedication in New York Harbor?

Grover Cleveland presided over the Statue of Liberty’s dedication in New York Harbor on October 28, 1886.

Cleveland was president during his first, nonconsecutive term when the ceremony took place. He had previously served as governor of New York, making the dedication especially connected to the state and harbor where the statue stood. The ceremony included speeches, military and naval participation, and a large public celebration.

The statue was a gift from the people of France to the United States, while the pedestal was financed and constructed in the United States. Its dedication was intended to symbolize friendship between the two nations and the ideals associated with American independence.

The monument was completed ten years after the 1876 centennial it had originally been intended to help commemorate. That delay explains why the dedication date does not fall on an anniversary ending in zero or six. The statue’s tablet still carries July 4, 1776, linking it to the 2026 semiquincentennial.