15 Memorials of 9/11 Across America

Los Angeles

Memorial Name: LAX “Recovering Equilibrium”

“Recovering Equilibrium” was funded by Los Angeles World Airports, which oversees airports in the city, at a cost $75,000. LAX was the destination for three of the four planes involved in the tragedy.
The 15–foot-diameter, rotating mirror floats above a concrete basin filled with water, where virtues such as forgiveness are inscribed in different languages, representing collective American citizenry. On the lower ring, there are American concepts, such as “Sea to Shining Sea” and “American Dream.” The plate is made reflective because designers BJ Krivanek and Joel Breaux want visitors to be able to identify with the victims and their characters. 

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Memorial Name: Boston College 9/11 Memorial Labyrinth 

The Memorial Labyrinth on the lawn of Burns Library is the brainchild of Father William P. Leahy, S.J., president of Boston College. Fully financed by the university, the 300-yard long, 28-loop labyrinth is an exact replica of the one in the France’s Chartres Cathedral, where for centuries pilgrims walk the pathway to pray, meditate and reflect.

Villanova, Pa.

Memorial: 9/11 Memorial Stained Glass Window at Corr Chapel, Villanova University.

The bright-colored memorial window at Corr Chapel is to commemorate the 15 Villanova alumni perished in 9/11. Installed in 2006, the glass took 10 months to complete and cost about $25,000 to make, excluding shipping and installing. The window depicts the sites that marked the 9/11 attacks, the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon, and the field near Shanksville, Penn., as well as four planes hovering over the sky. The window next to it shows the Blessed Virgin Mary in prayer position.

Easton, Conn.

Memorial Name: Christine’s Tree at the Old Academy Nursery School.

The Seven Sons Flower Tree was planted by the Old Academy Nursery School kids to honor Christine Hanson, the youngest victim of 9/11. Christine was en route to a California vacation with her parents Sue and Peter, when the tragedy happened. She was then only two and a half years old.

Lower Makefield, Penn.

Memorial: The Garden of Reflection.

The Garden and the 64-acre Memorial Park in Lower Makefield, Penn., were built in 2005. Nine people from the town died in the tragedy. Starting as a grassroots effort by family members and volunteers, the “Remembrance Fund” raised more than $1.8 million for design, construction, and maintenance. The site includes a fragment of the World Trade Center, a Wall of Remembrance with all the victims names etched on glass panels, and twin fountains that represent the rising spirits of those lost in the event.

                                                Athens, Ga.

Memorial: 9/11 Memorial Garden And Trail.

After a trip to post-9/11 New York City, Bob Hart, a retired teacher from University of Georgia, came up with the idea to build a memorial on his 18-acre wooded property. The trail is open to public and features 99 poles with all the victims’ names. The names are deliberately arranged in random order, emphasizing the individuality of each person. However, an index box at the beginning of the trail allows visitors to locate any name. The Harts spent $5,000 to $7,000 on the memorial. About 250 and 400 people attended the memorial service in 2002 and 2006. And Bob is planning another one for the 10th anniversary.

Greenport, N.Y.

Memorial: Osprey Memorial “Morning Call” 

By the quiet harbor of Greenport, N.Y., an osprey perches atop a 20-foot tall beam made up of three World Trade Center steel remains. With its wings stretching and its beak open, the osprey is landing to build a nest and crying out for dignity. The sculpture, titled “Morning Call,” is symbolic of rebirth and renewal, while its see-through design is meant to create something quiet but strong. “My idea is to create in the spirit of rebirth and renewal after the tragedy,” said Roberto Bessin the sculptor, “the site is where the first sunrise hit the State of New York, on the north fork of East Long Island.” The statue cost $80,000 in total and was financed by the Osprey Memorial Fund.

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Memorial Name: Brooklyn Remembers Memorial “The Beacon” 

The 25-foot-tall bronze statue titled “The Beacon” is in the shape of an 18th century speaking trumpet used by firefighters to alert the public of fire. The memorial took three years to complete and is located at Veteran’s Pier at 69th Street in Bay Ridge.Through public fundraising, Brooklyn Remembers managed to raise $150,000 to build the memorial and another $40,000 to maintain it.

Arlington, Va.

Memorial: Pentagon Memorial

The Pentagon Memorial, located right where the plane crashed, is dedicated to the 184 people at the location who lost their lives on 9/11. Completed in 2008, the construction is estimated to have cost $22 million, with another $10 million in line for future maintenance.

Emmitsburg, Md.

Memorial Name: To Lift a Nation.

The memorial named “To Lift a Nation” features three 40-feet high firefighter statues, each weighs more than 5,000 pounds, raising the American flag. It is a recreation of the famous photo by Thomas E. Franklin taken at Ground Zero on 9/11 and is dedicated to all the firefighters that died in the tragedy. The memorial was established in 2007 and is donated by the sculptor Stan Watts at a cost of millions.

Bayonne, N.J.

Memorial Name: To Struggle Against World Terrorism

Located at the eastern tip of Bayonne, N.J., harbor peninsula, the gigantic statue weighs 175 tons and consists of a 40-foot stainless-steel teardrop positioned in the crack of a 100-foot bronze block. The slit with rough edges and the hanging teardrop represents the twin towers that once together had been ruptured in between. The memorial, named “To Struggle Against World Terrorism,” was dedicated in 2006 as a gift from the sculptor Zurab Tsereteli and people of Russia to America. Fifteen Bayonne residents died in the attacks.

                                         Avon, Conn.

Memorial: Amy Toyen Sculpture

Dedicated in 2002, the piece commemorates the 9/11 victim Amy Toyen, who grew up in Avon, Conn. The project was initiated by Avon High School. Situated outside the Avon Free Public Library, the life-size bronze sculpture depicts Amy as a 5-year-old young girl, in her favorite dress, sitting on a garden bench, with a book in her hands and a Teddy Bear in her arm (two other of her favorite things).

Staten Island, N.Y.

Memorial: 9/11 Memorial “Postcards”.

Built in 2004, “Postcards” features two soaring 40-foot high, white wing-like walls that symbolize notes sent to loved ones. The memorial is dedicated to all the Staten Island, N.Y., residents who died on 9/11, each of them honored with a granite plaque with their facial silhouette, name, birth date, and place of work. Ground Zero can be seen between the “Postcards” wings. The memorial took a year to complete at a cost of more than $2 million.

West Springfield, Mass.

Memorial Name: Eternal Flame.

The Eternal Flame burns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in memory of Melissa Harrington-Hughes, a native of West Springfield, Mass., as well as 92 other Massachusetts residents who died on 9/11. Dedicated in 2003, it represents life and provides the victims’ families and the community a peaceful place to contemplate. Powered by natural gas, the Eternal Flame cost $75,000 to build and $300 a month to maintain.

Dunseith, N.D.

Memorial: The International Peace Garden 9/11 Memorial.

Located within the 2,400-acre International Peace Garden on the border of the U.S. and Canada, the memorial consists of 10 World Trade Center girders surrounded by a Stroll and Contemplative Garden, built in 2002 and 2010, respectively. The overall memorial covers 20,000 square feet.