Symbolism of the Memorial
The Memorial was designed by landscape architects Peter J. Kudlata and Jeffrey Wiberg of Flagstone Landscaping, based on preliminary designs by Dustin Melzark, a 2001 Kewaskum High School graduate.
1. Steel Beam
The centerpiece of the Memorial is a 2,200-pound steel beam recovered from the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The beam is raised, pointing southeast toward New York City and held in place by a sculpture that is an abstract representation of the Twin Towers.
Support Structure
The steel support structure that holds the beam is an abstract representation of the Twin Towers.
2. Pentagon Foundation
The World Trade Center steel beam is anchored to a pentagon-shaped limestone foundation, a tribute to the Pentagon, which was also attacked on September 11th, 2001. Each point of the foundation is oriented toward one of the five learning stations.
Teaching Podium Bases
The teaching podium bases have been fashioned to remind people of the tridents that were the signature architectural element at the bases of the Twin Towers.
3. Flight Path Map
The Southeast Learning Station educates visitors about the flight paths and timeline of the terrorist attacks.
4. "Ascension" Sculpture
The “Ascension” sculpture, designed by Susan Falkman, memorializes the fallen and honors the first responders at the Twin Towers.
7. Virgil Quote
The engraving, “NO DAY SHALL ERASE YOU FROM THE MEMORY OF TIME,” is a famous quote from Virgil and is also displayed in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York.
8. Survivor Tree
The Survivor Tree, a gift from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, is a seedling from the Callery pear tree, which survived the attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City. This 9/11 Memorial Survivor Tree Seedling is a living reminder of resilience, survival, and rebirth.
9. red granite Ring
The learning centers are ringed by red granite, Wisconsin’s state stone. Surrounding the granite is a ring of Callery pear trees, a reflection of the Survivor Tree seedling.
10. Veterans' Area
The Veterans’ Area pays tribute to Washington County veterans who served in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. A memorial bench honors Kewaskum native Einor Ingman Jr., a Korean War Medal of Honor recipient.
