Chatham County 9/11 Memorial, Pittsboro
The memorial honors all first responders who died in the line of duty including those of September 11, 2001.
The memorial consists of a 12,000 pound, 19 feet tall steel beam that was part of a World Trade Center building. The steel beam, as the focal point of the memorial site, stands on end tilted at nine degrees and eleven minutes facing directly toward Ground Zero in New York. Small chucks of concrete are also still attached. A flag pole is part of the site standing east of the steel beam. The beam itself stands in an incomplete circular brick patio.
Images: General view | Close-up view
The Chatham County 9/11 First Responders' Memorial Foundation
September 6, 2014
35.718440 , -79.178370
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Aronson, Isaac-Davy. “Chatham County Seeks Input on 9/11 Memorial,” http://wunc.org, Dec 3, 2012, (accessed August 12, 2015) Link
Campbell, Colin, “Chatham County Dedicates New First Responders’ Memorial With World Trade Center Steel Beam,” The News And Observer (Raleigh, NC), September 6, 2011, (accessed June 10, 2015) Link
Hunter, John. “Memorial Dedicated,” The Chatham News (Siler City, NC), September 11, 2014, (accessed May 5, 2015) Link
Quesinberry, Justin. “Chatham Co. 9/11 Memorial Finds A Home In Pittsboro,” WNCN, (accessed August 12, 2015) Link
“Chatham To Dedicate 9/11 First Responders Memorial In Pittsboro On September 6,” Chatham Journal (Pittsboro, NC), August 26, 2014, (accessed May 25, 2015) Link
Yes
Steel, brick
The Chatham County 9/11 First Responders' Memorial Foundation
$70,000
The featured speaker was Joe Dittmar who told his story of 9/11. He was at a meeting in the south tower of the World Trade Center when the first plane hit the north tower. As he was evacuating, the second plane hit the south tower a few floors above his position. Passing firefighters as he slowly moved down, Dittmar “had a chance to witness bravery and selflessness in the most incredible way that day.”
The steel beam, acquired from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is an artifact from the World Trade Center tragedy of September 11, 2001. It was acquired in March of 2011 in hopes a memorial would be complete by the 10-year observance of the 9/11 attacks.
Difficulties with fundraising and finding an appropriate location delayed construction. As of June 2015 the memorial site is still incomplete. An additional $50,000 was needed to complete the project. The memorial site was leased from Chatham County for one dollar for ninety-nine years.
The memorial is located next to Chatham County Justice Center on US Highway 501.
The memorial site is a triangular piece of land with the point facing south along Highway 501. As of June 2015 a construction trailer was still on the site, no grass had been planted and the brick patio surrounding the steel beam was only partially laid. A pile of sand and gravel were also present on the site.
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