A more than decade-long journey for a piece of the World Trade Center ended without fanfare Tuesday, July 24, as a memorial sculpture was at long last installed in the Spa City’s High Rock Park.
The work of art entitled Tempered by Memory was wrought from a piece of steel pulled from the rubble following the 9/11 attacks in Manhattan. Now, it sits in the middle of the park between High Rock Spring and the pavilions on High Rock Avenue. The project was sponsored by the Saratoga Arts Council.
Tempered by Steel weighs in at 28,000 pounds and stands at 24 feet. It is believed to be the only work of art crafted from steel once part of the Twin Towers. Other monuments are pieces of steel that have not been manipulated.
“It’s been a while coming but I think everybody is very, very relieved and really happy that this is the site chosen (for the sculpture),” said Saratoga Springs Mayor Scott Johnson.
The sculpture was originally destined for a locating in front of the City Center, but when that was deemed impractical a lengthy debate ensued over its placement.
The Arts Council was approached two years ago about having steel artifacts from Ground Zero brought to Saratoga by officers stationed at the Saratoga Springs Naval Support Unit. Artists John Van Alstine and Noah Savett completed the piece last summer and it resided in Gansevoort until Tuesday morning’s installation. They were assisted by five retired ironworkers and a lot of community support.
Johnson said he was glad that the community stepped up to make the project happen and is happy with where the sculpture now sits.
“It’s very serene and really invites you to contemplate the meaning of what happened that day and the aftermath,” he said. “It’s really an inspiration to how Americans responded … it brings back emotions.”
While the work of art is now in place, the site itself is still being worked on. Executive Director of Saratoga Arts Council Joel Reed said the area will have plantings and a retaining wall incorporated in the near future. The base of the sculpture will also be texturized to better go with the overall aesthetic of the area and the steel.
Ben Mirling of Saratoga Springs waited along with a crowd of about 50 onlookers for what was a slow retreat for the sculpture from High Rock Avenue into the park on Tuesday. Like everybody else, he remembers where he was on Sept. 11, 2001.
“I remember my son hollering to me while we were painting the house. He yelled, ‘Come watch this on television.’ We ended up with the two of us sitting pretty much the rest of the day just watching,” said Mirling.
He feels that the sculpture is a “symbol of hope and possibility” and added that Saratoga is a city where a lot of wonderful things have happened because of citizen involvement.
“I think it worked out well,” he said. “It’s a good location with parking and easy for people to get to.”
Andy Deborski of Lake George also made the trip to see the sculpture put into place. His brother Bill Deborski, a retired ironworker,assisted with the project and was at work Tuesday to help install the monument.
“It finally got a home,” said Andy Deborski as he looked on with pride while his brother was helping to maneuver the enormous work of art.
Gail Kellerher of Wilton came to see the sculpture so she could honor a colleague who was in his mid 20s when he was killed on 9/11.
She was visiting Manhattan for a conference a week before the attacks and remembers sitting between the towers and thinking it was a great time to be visiting New York.
“Everybody has a story,” she said. She added that she visits the park often and will be back again soon.
A formal dedication date has yet to be announced, but officialsexpect a ceremony to take place in September.
