Ellis Island is our "Picture of the Week," The landmark is in the news because First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton announced efforts to restore Ellis Island as part of "Save America's Treasures," a program designed to restore historic sites in the United States.

Ellis Island was the "Gateway to America" from 1892 until it closed in 1954, beginning its slow decay. The term, "Gateway to America" is used to describe Ellis Island, because it was the country's main immigration station from 1892 to 1954.

Immigrants would leave the passenger ship from which they arrived and then take a ferry to Ellis Island to be admitted to the United States. Approximately 40 percent of Americans can trace their roots to ancestors arriving through the historic site.

In the early 1970s, before Ellis Island was first restored, it was only accessible by boat. The picture to the right shows Ellis Island in 1974, prior to any renovations.

Today, Ellis Island has a new appearance (see image below, left, taken in 1997). In an effort to further preserve one of America's most cultural landmarks, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton announced $870,000 in public and private donations to restore the deteriorating buildings on historic Ellis Island.

"Save America's Treasures" program is an ongoing effort to protect the nation's most important and threatened sites and objects. It is a public-private partnership between the White House Millennium Council, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Park Service.

Mrs. Clinton has visited 41 "Save America's Treasures" sites in hopes of increasing public awareness for our nation's urgent need to preserve historic sites.

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