Liberty Enlightening the World

History Of Evelyn Hill, Inc.

Evelyn Hill, Inc. has a very long history of providing visitor services at Liberty Island (once known as Bedloe’s Island). In 2008, we celebrate 77 years of service and we believe that we are now one of the oldest family-owned and operated concessionaires in the United States.

Our history with the Statue of Liberty began with Fort Wood and Bradford A. Hill’s Grandfather. Aaron Hill served as a medic in the U.S. Army during World War I and after the war was stationed at Fort Wood. Fort Wood at the time was a garrison post that existed on about 10 acres around the Statue of Liberty on what was then known as Bedloe’s Island. During Aaron Hill’s time there, he was transferred from medical duties to the Post Exchange on Bedloe’s Island.

During the time when Aaron and Evelyn Hill were living in the brick and clapboard Army housing on Bedloe’s Island, they had two children, Charlotte and James. As the children grew up they went to school on nearby Governor’s Island by boat.

Around 1931 the U.S. Army decided that they would no longer sell items to civilians who came to the island to visit the Statue of Liberty. So Aaron G. Hill seized the opportunity for a new business potential, retired from the U.S. Army, formed his new company named Evelyn Hill, Inc., and opened a souvenir stand on the pier where visitors to the Statue of Liberty arrived by boat.

In 1933 the National Park Service took over responsibility for the two acres on Bedloe’s Island where the Statue of Liberty was located, while the U.S. Army kept the other 10 acres for Fort Wood. When this happened, the Hill family moved their home from Bedloe’s Island to the Bronx in New York City, and traveled to and from Bedloe’s Island by boat every day to operate their souvenir stand.

Eventually, in 1937, the U.S. Army transferred what was left of Fort Wood to the National Park Service and by December of 1944 the days of the garrison post came to an end. The garrison post buildings of Fort Wood were torn down by the National Park Service from 1948 to 1950, all the while, Aaron and Evelyn Hill continued to operate their small visitor service operation.

Aaron continued to run this concession with his wife Evelyn until his untimely death in 1943 at the age of 46. James I. Hill, their son, was overseas in the U.S. Air Force at the time, came home to join his mother in operating the concession on Bedloe’s Island.

Evelyn K. Hill, a polish immigrant who came to the United States in 1916 was a brilliant businesswomen way ahead of her time. She spoke nine languages fluently and understood the importance of satisfying the visitor. A story handed down includes her buying sugar on the black market when sugar was being rationed during World War II to have enough for the visitors on the Island. One of her favorite jobs was working behind the sales counter and interacting with the visitors. She enjoyed working at the Statue until her death in 1990 at the age of 88.

James I. Hill, followed in her footsteps. James incorporated the business under his mother’s name in 1949. In addition to the Statue of Liberty and Fort McHenry, James Hill also provided visitor services at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay, New York for 25 years. Other business interests included visitor services on the ferryboat service to Sandy Hook and operating all of the souvenir concessions at Freedomland, a Disneyesque amusement park which used to call the Bronx home.

His passion for the Statue of Liberty has long been established. His saying of, “Take care of the visitors and they will take care of you.”, has been our philosophy and the reason for our success all of these decades.

His ability to redesign the facilities so that they never looked worn out or distressed due to the millions of visitors who used them put the concession in the forefront of all others.

Without taking any credit, he essentially defined “thematic retailing” by only carrying items directly related to the purpose of being in the national park. It is only in the near term that concessionaires under new concession contracts are required to select the type of merchandise that we have been selecting for decades.

Mr. James I. Hill also enjoyed a positive relationship with the National Park Service over his tenure. From Directors, to Regional Directors, to Superintendent, to the laborers, he was well respected in his profession and understood that a handshake meant a contract, or more importantly, a promise.

James I. Hill, after 46 years of leading Evelyn Hill, Inc., retired in 1996 and leadership of the company was passed to the next generation, his son, Bradford A. Hill. He still meets regularly with Bradford on business matters and continues to provide business council.

Bradford “Brad” A. Hill became President in 1996 and has maintained the same leadership style that his father and grandmother conducted themselves. In recent history, Brad Hill has focused on the environment and healthy dining and living in changing the company’s way of doing business.

In recent history, our food service has been nothing short of remarkable. In 2001, we had planned to completely revamp the type of food service presented to the visitors. We realized back then that the visitor had higher expectations for the quality of food that was being served in our national parks. Then the tragic events of September 11, 2001 occurred and our efforts were put on hold until we could reestablish ourselves. That process restarted in 2005 and in 2006 our new menu was introduced. What a success it was! Visitors said "enough with hotdogs" and feasted on healthy organic salads and sandwiches; 6-ounce angus burgers and high-end fisherman platters, crab cake sandwiches and lobster rolls. No longer were we selling “truck stop” food. In 2007 we continued with the process introducing a full printed menu and adding locally raised foods as well as extending the organic food range.

Evelyn Hill, Inc. became the leader in Concessionaire recycling methods, recycling over 75% of the solid waste produced by our operations, the national park, and the ferryboat operator. Mr. Brad Hill is a guest speaker at many different national parks to talk about his accomplishments. He is a member of many national and international associations sharing his experience and learning from others, and has been honored with many awards and recognitions.

The interpretation efforts by Evelyn Hill, Inc. also expanded. From having once printed the Junior Ranger Program, to providing daily brochures, adding museum quality interpretative signs inside our operational areas, adding a living history program portraying Auguste Bartholdi, and installing museum exhibit animatronics of Bartholdi in his workshop, the overall interpretation is an important part of the visitor’s experience.

The legacy of Evelyn Hill, Inc. has not been without bumps in the road. We experienced food rationing during World War II, takeovers during the Vietnam war, complete closures during the Centennial refurbishing of the Statue of Liberty, and most recently, the closure of the Statue during the 9/11 (September 11, 2001) crisis. That’s in addition to closures due to icebergs on the river, fog, and utility failures. Today, providing visitor services on Liberty Island is fraught with security challenges and associated restrictions, all of which are necessary, and each of which is critical to understanding and continuing to provide a quality and meaningful visitor service.

 

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