Sherwood Island State Park - 9-11 Memorial

9-11 Memorial

Sherwood Island State Park was chosen for Connecticut's 9-11 Living Memorial because on a clear day, the New York City skyline is visible from the point. On 9/11, people who gathered there saw smoke rise over the World Trade Center. Then, the park served as a staging area for relief efforts to the City. At the dedication on September 5, 2002, the names of 149 people who were killed that day were read aloud. They were residents of Connecticut or had close family in the state. Governor John G. Rowland presided over the interfaith ceremony of music, speech, and prayer. About 400 people came. The design incorporates the endurance of granite, the sheltering beauty of trees, and the tranquility of the sea. The 9-foot (2.7 m) polished granite stone monument reads, “The citizens of Connecticut dedicate this living memorial to the thousands of innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001 and to the families who loved them.”