After lunch, we headed on down to Ground Zero. The first stop was St. Paul's Chapel, the little chapel that became a refuge for the rescue workers following the days and weeks after 9/11. Here is a short excerpt from the introduction of the book "The Little Chapel That Stood":
"St. Paul's Chapel, dwarfed by the Twin Towers right across the street, stood strong after "the giants around it had come to a fall" on 9/11.
When the blackness cleared, the old wooden steeple was still there. Some say the 150-year-old sycamore trees took the brunt of the blast and saved the chapel. Others say it was a miracle.
On 9/11, St. Paul's became a service depot immediately. Fireman hung their shoes on the iron fence as they pulled on their boots. Many brave men did not return to get their shoes.
St. Paul's was built in 1766. For safety its chandeliers were packed away during the two world wars. When George Washington was inaugurated in New York City as the first president, he walked to the chapel to offer his prayers for the new nation.
St. Paul's reminds us that terrorism and violence are insubstantial and temporary; freedom and courage are abiding. And no one is too small to be brave or make a difference. "
The Bell of Hope
"TO THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD, AND IN RECOGNITION OF THE ENDUING LINKS BETWEEN THE CITY OF LONDON AND THE CITY OF NEW YORK. FORGED IN ADVERSITY - 11 SEPTEMBER 2001"
This is a pile of patches off the uniforms of many of the rescue workers around the world.
Many photos of those who were lost
A banner of encouragement from Oklahoma City
One of the cots of the rescue workers
"The Cots: During the post September 11th ministry, volunteers lined the perimeter of the Chapel with cots. Recovery workers stumbled into the Chapel after grueling shifts at Ground Zero, looking for a place to rest for a few hours before returning to "the pit". After arranging a wake-up call at the volunteer desk, workers fell asleep on the cots. During the wee hours of the morning, snores from the sleeping workers softly echoed throughout the Chapel. Each day, volunteers changed the sheets and blankets and placed a stuffed animal on the pillows. They worked diligently to make sure the cots were always ready for tired workers."
George Washington's Pew
"George Washington prayed at St. Paul's after his inauguration as the first president of the United States in 1789. He continued to worship at St. Paul's Chapel until the capital of the U.S. moved from New York to Philadelphia in 1790.
During the nine-month ministry, podiatrists adapted Washington's pew into a station for healing workers' tired, injured feet. Because many of Washington's troops fought at Valley Forge without boots, many saw placing the podiatry station in this pew as a fitting tribute."
Letters from the children
The Fence
"After Broadway was opened to the public in October of 2001, thousands of visitors from around the world transformed the Chapel's wrought iron fence into a spontaneous memorial.
With great ingenuity, they attached banners, memorial posters, T-shirts, flags, hats, letters, religious items, and countless other personal tokens that expressed both their anguish and their love and support. When the Chapel also put up some blank, 15-ft. canvasses for passers-by to sign, staff estimated 10 to 15 panels might eventually be filled. In six months time, more than 400 would be required."
The Pews
"Throughout the 9/11 relief ministry, the Chapel's pews became a refuge for Firefighters, Police Officers and rescue workers. Some came to sit quietly alone; others came to pray. Many came to sleep, stretching out with a blanket, pillow and teddy bear provided by volunteers. Letters from children covered each pew, offering an uplifting message of hope.
Always ready to be called back to "the pit" at any moment, workers kept their boots and equipment belts on, creating deep scuff marks in the pews. When the Chapel was cleaned and refurbished in 2002, it was decided not to repair the pews, but to leave the marks as a witness and a tribute to the workers."
There wasn't a lot we could actually see at Ground Zero. Most of it was covered with these banners showing the proposed plan for the rebuilding of the building and the memorial.
One of the workers spent several minutes sharing some of the future plans with us.
This is the one building that has been completely rebuilt.
A picture of the proposed memorial
There were a few places where we could peek through the fence and see the actual area of where the Twin Towers stood.
Even after all these years, they are still digging.
Good-bye New York City. It's been a great couple of days!!
And a huge thank you to the Guthries for meeting us here and hanging out with us for a couple of days!
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