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Immigration to Ellis Island peaked between 1892 and 1924, during which time the 3.3-acre island was enlarged with landfill (by the 1930s it reached its current 27.5-acre size) and additional buildings were constructed to handle the massive influx of immigrants.
The new immigration depot at Ellis Island was opened on New Year's Day, 1891. The structure, like many other Government buildings, though of gigantic proportions, could not be termed an architectural masterpiece. It was built at a cost of about $500,000, the original estimate having been about one-half that sum.