📜 Did Giorgina Reid, The Woman Who Saved the Montauk Point Lighthouse, Once Hold Italian Citizenship?

Giorgina Reid was born in Trieste on 3 November 1908, with the maiden name Anzulata. Though now an Italian city, Trieste was not Italian when Giorgina was born. So why do we wonder if she was Italian? Keep reading to find out.

Table of Contents

• From Trieste to Long Island

• The Montauk Point Lighthouse

• The Question of Giorgina Reid's Italian Citizenshi …

• The Treaties of Rapallo and Saint Germain

• Conclusion

From Trieste to Long Island

Giorgina emigrated with her mother to the United States as a teenager. At age 15, she attended the Leonardo da Vinci Art School in New York, later graduating as a textile designer.

She married Donald Reid, and when she was in her late 50s, the couple bought a seaside cottage in Rocky Point, Long Island. A few years later, a north-eastern storm severely damaged their property, taking away ten feet of shoreline. Neighbours warned of ongoing erosion, and although Donald wanted to sell, Giorgina was determined to find a solution.

Inspired by a Japanese technique she had read about, a system of terraced steps reinforced with reeds and grasses, Giorgina developed a method that stopped erosion, successfully saving her property.

The Montauk Point Lighthouse

The Montauk Point Lighthouse, located on the eastern tip of Long Island, New York, was built in 1796 during George Washington’s presidency.

Like Giorgina’s property, the lighthouse faced erosion too. The edge of the cliff was getting alarmingly close to it, threatening this historic structure with collapse into the sea.

An abandonment of the lighthouse was therefore ordered, but Dan Rattiner, a local journalist, brought this to public attention. A few days later, Giorgina Reid, already experienced with her property, appeared in his office with a plan.

And, in 1970, she began her terracing work at Montauk Point to stop erosion. Her project spanned fifteen years, with her husband and a group of volunteers in the community tirelessly implementing her method to protect the lighthouse, which was ultimately saved.

Her efforts were recognised in 1986 when she also received a commendation from President Ronald Reagan.

Today the Montauk Point Lighthouse remains in use and can be visited. Its preservation is a testament to Giorgina’s innovation, determination, and the power of community collaboration.

Giorgina Reid died on 16 June 2001 and at the age of 92.

The Question of Giorgina Reid's Italian Citizenship

Giorgina’s birthplace is indicated as "Trieste, Italy". I have searched online but could not find an official confirmation of Giorgina’s Italian citizenship. In 1908, when she was born, Trieste was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its residents were subjects of that empire. However, this period was marked by the rise of Italian irredentism, a movement that sought for Italian-speaking regions, including Trieste, to become part of Italy.

To understand why we can reasonably assume Giorgina acquired Italian citizenship after her birth, we need to consider the historical treaties of her time.

The Treaties of Rapallo and Saint Germain

In 1910, two years after Giorgina was born, according to the Austro-Hungarian census of that year, more than half of Trieste’s population spoke Italian.

Later, following the end of World War I in 1918, on Giorgina’s tenth birthday, Trieste was occupied by the troops of the Kingdom of Italy. The city was then officially annexed to Italy with the Treaty of Rapallo, signed on 12 November 1920.

With this Treaty, the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes consensually established the borders of the two States and their respective sovereignties. The Treaty of Rapallo was approved in Italy with the Law n. 1778 of 19 December 1920.

Before the Treaty of Rapallo, there had been the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1919, approved in Italy with the Law n. 1322 of 26 September 1920, which stated in Article 70 that:

So, based on the Treaty of Rapallo (1920), with which Trieste became officially Italian, and the previous Treaty of Saint Germain (1919), which regulated the acquisition of new citizenship after the dissolution of the empire, 356.000 Italian-speaking subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire became Italian citizens.

Conclusion

The assumption that Giorgina spoke Italian when she was in Trieste could stem from her Italian-sounding name and surname, distinctly different from those of other groups in Trieste at that time. However, the main aspect to consider is that we know that at 15 she was in the U.S. and that she emigrated when she was a teenager, so likely in 1920 or 1921. Therefore, when Trieste became Italian and Italy’s citizenship was granted to its Italian-speaking residents, Giorgina was likely there.

Given these factors, Giorgina might have received Italian citizenship before emigrating to the United States of America. She may have then acquired American citizenship through her marriage to Donald Reid.

If she was indeed Italian, did she ever feel a connection to her Italian roots, or speak of her heritage? These details remain unknown, but it would be interesting to hear from anyone who knows more about that period of her life.

Whether or not she held Italian citizenship, one thing is certain: Giorgina’s legacy is truly remarkable and inspiring. Thank you, Giorgina. Your determination did more than save a piece of history. Just as the light of the lighthouse still shines across the sea, your legacy reminds us to believe in the future and to persevere, no matter how daunting the odds.

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