CT's 9-11 Living Memorial
Since September 2001, a firm resolve has grown among all Americans that the memory of those who died would not fade. Through these many months, the people of Connecticut have sought some way to come together in this remembrance - to find healing in "community" and to offer comfort to the families and survivors. In May 2002, when approached by several private citizens and the Connecticut Office of Family Support, the Department of Environmental Protection agreed that Sherwood Island State Park in Westport should be the home of Connecticut's official memorial to the victims of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. A prominent New Haven landscape architecture firm (Towers/Golde) has developed a beautiful design for a contemplative memorial space on "the point" at Sherwood Island State Park. The memorial incorporates the endurance of granite, the sheltering beauty of trees and shrubs, and the tranquility of the sea. It offers those who come to the memorial peace and strength to draw upon in their healing.
The Details - The memorial features a 9-foot long granite memorial stone, set into a grassed area and oriented so that visitors face towards the Manhattan skyline as they read the inscription. To the left is a bed of flowering shrubs. Behind the visitor will be three granite benches for rest and reflection and behind the benches, four large trees provide shade and shelter. The finishing touches are the pines and cedar trees set into beds of dune grass positioned behind and to the seaward side of the four memorial trees. The beds and walkways are edged in granite.
