The star shaped base of the Statue of Liberty are the walls of Fort Wood (constructed between 1806 and 1811) that stood on this island. By the time it was chosen for the Statue of Liberty, the base was disused and its walls were used as the distinctive base for the Statue of Liberty given by France for the 1886 centenary celebrations. It had become a part of the base for the Statue of Liberty after the island was first seen by the statue's sculptor. The National Park Service (which had been created in 1916) took over operations of the island in two stages: 2 acres (8,100 m2) in 1933, and the remainder in 1937. The military installation was completely removed by 1944.