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As the first decade of the 20th Century came to a close, there was need for a new immigration center for the Port of Philadelphia. The City of Philadelphia was unable to provide the United States Immigration Commission an affordable location for newly arriving immigrates to the Port of Philadelphia. Gloucester City's William Thompson offered for sale to the U.S. Government, his mansion located on the Delaware River; thus, resulting in the Immigration Station for the Port of Philadelphia being located in Gloucester City, New Jersey.
Thompson's mansion would become the administration building, a large detention building would be constructed as well as large pier.
Ground was broken for the detention building in 1911 and the pier was operational on March, 17th, 1914.
Due to the outbreak of World War One, immigration from Europe was dramatically curtailed. As the United States entered the war, immigration centers in the U.S. were used to detain citizens from enemy countries. This would also be repeated during the Second World War.
The United States Immigration Commission would change the way new immigrants were processed upon arriving to America. Rather than having the vessels coming to a central pier, like they did at Ellis Island in New York harbor, Gloucester would have the immigration inspectors go to the vessels locations, perform the inspections and only immigrants who had issues would be brought to the Gloucester Detention building.
During the 1930's the station would be used by the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) employees who would transcribe United States hand written documents into typed documents.
The Gloucester station would be closed after WWII and the facility would be transferred the United States Coast Guard.
Prior to the Coast Guard taking control of the facility, the U.S. government would tragically tear down the Thompson mansion.
1924 Gloucester City New Jersey waterfront showing the Immigration Station.
Waterfront in Gloucester (N.J.),Hagley ID 70_200_00122, J. Victor Dallin Aerial Survey collection (Accession 1970.200), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807
Below are images from inside the the center when the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) employees worked there.
Leading up to World War Two, the United States would suspect that some merchants vessels belonging to any of the partner countries of the Axis alliance ( Germany, Italy, and Japan ) were a risk to the United States harbors.
The U.S. would take custody of the vessels and their crews would be held at the Immigration Station at Gloucester. This action by the U.S. would be a major national news story covered by the local Philadelphia press.
Photographs below show Italians interned at Gloucester Immigration Station starting on April 22, 1941.
This is before the US had entered WWII. The Italians were taken from sabotaged ships in Philadelphia's Harbor, The Italians were likely ordered to disable their vessel if the U.S. was to attempt to confiscate them?
"Most of the 179 internees shown are Italian seamen"
Philadelphia Record news clippings
[ Historical Society of Pennsylvania ]
https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/14245
Some high profile detainees at the U.S. Immigration Station at Gloucester City, NJ
The Gloucester City Immigration Station is mentioned in the TLC(c) television show "Who Do You Think You Are".
Actress - Lea Michele family history took a path through the Gloucester City when Michele's great grand mother Benuta Veissy immigrated in May of 1918 and was detained at Ellis Island for reasons that today may seem inconceivable: She could not read or write. The Immigration Act of 1917 barred all immigrants over the age of sixteen who were illiterate. She was transferred to Gloucester City for 6 months.