World Trade Center I-beam at York’s Prospect Hill Cemetery: ‘Last week we had a young firefighter from Juniata … here to see it’
This image from York, Pa.’s, Prospect Hill Cemetery’s Web site shows the I-beam from the World Trade Center upon its arrival at its new home in cemetery. The cemetery will dedicate the beam in an upcoming ceremony. Also of interest: Statesman buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery: ‘He said his farewells to his family … ‘ and Navy SEAL Neil C. Roberts: ‘In this simple grave … lies a national hero’ and What’s the story of that fenced-in graveyard atop a hill near I-83?.
A woman at the just-dedicated Vietnam War Memorial at the York Expo Center asked a visitor about the much-publicized World Trade Center I-beam at Prospect Hill Cemetery.
She had been at the cemetery earlier Sunday afternoon, had even seen the flags representing those who had died in Iraq and Afghanistan, but could not find the beam… .
The beam is, indeed, there, but not yet ready for public display. Its movement from New York to the cemetery drew media attention – and no doubt the query from the woman at the Vietnam War monument.
The short answer is the I-beam will be on display during regular cemetery hours after it is dedicated on Nov. 14.
Here’s is Prospect Hill Cemetery GM’s Jack Sommer’s explanation of plans for displaying the beam:
The WTC I-Beam is generally in storage in the cemetery’s maintenance building. We have made it available to view by visitors who stopped and made specific inquiries, especially those from out-of-town. Last week we had a young firefighter from Juniata who drove all the way here to see it. He had volunteered in the early days of the recovery effort at Ground Zero in NYC. His fire company is considering sending a fire unit to our dedication on Saturday, November 14 of our Court of Valor Monument that will display the steel. The only scheduled public viewing of the steel before our dedication will be this Sunday, October 11 during Historic York’s Dempwolf Tour. The steel will displayed outside the carriage building during the afternoon hours. Our office exterior ( the “gate Lodge” building) was recently restored and the carriage building’s exterior will be restored next year. In addition, studies are underway to consider creative reuses for the carriage building.
