NEW YORK—A 58-ton fragment of the steel column that once stood in the South Tower was hauled out of storage and into its final resting place on Monday.
Known as the “last column,” it was the last beam to be removed from the the World Trade Center site and the first 9/11 artifact to be moved into the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which is being built on eight of the 16 acres of the WTC site.
The 36-foot tall steel column is part of a beam that reached from the bedrock to the roof of the South Tower. It bears the scrawlings of remembrances from family members, rescue teams, and friends of the people killed in the attacks.
“It is a recognition of those who were killed,” said Joe Daniels, president of the Memorial & Museum, who has seen the column in person. “There’s graffiti of remembrance, numbers [of those who died], and patches.” During the recovery process, placards, postcards, and wreaths were placed on the column.
When the museum opens later this year, the column will be presented in a climate-controlled environment. Visitors will be able to zoom in on the various markings through an electronic display, and learn about the stories associated with each.
“I hope that through the exhibit, visitors will understand what happened, why, and how the world came together in the aftermath,” Daniels said.
Lee Ielpi’s son was a firefighter who died on duty that day, along with all 19 men in the squad. “When the column was taken out it was a happy sad day,” Ielpi said. “It’s going to show the world our strength. Hopefully this column will talk of our past history and what history should do for us—we learn from history so this never happens again.”
The museum is currently gathering oral accounts like Ielpi’s for the exhibit.
The Column’s Journey
Following recovery, the column and other artifacts were moved to climate-controlled Hanger 17 at JFK airport. There, it was under the care of the Port Authority’s Art Preservation Services Team. The column is the first one to be moved out of the hanger.
In 2004, conservators began to remove and detach 82 items that people had affixed to the column.
Early Monday morning, the column was taken from Hanger 17 to the WTC site. From there, a crane with a lift-capacity of 121,000 pounds hauled the column to the site’s bedrock. It was wrapped in white and an American flag.
While the museum takes shape around it, the column will sit inside a dehumidified enclosure to prevent rust. Scaffolding will allow curators to access the column.
“It’s coming together,” said Luis Mendez, vice president of construction. The steel framework of the site should be ready by the end of the year, and concrete pouring will begin next year, according to Mendez.
Additional reporting by Sally Sun.
