''The Rising'' is a memorial located in the Kensico Dam Plaza of

Valhalla In Norse mythology Valhalla (;) is the anglicised name for non, Valhǫll ("hall of the slain").Orchard (1997:171–172) It is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. Half of those who die in combat e ...

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

, created by architect

Frederic Schwartz Frederic David Schwartz (April 1, 1951 – April 28, 2014) was an American architect, author, and city planner whose work includes ''Empty Sky'', the New Jersey 9-11 Memorial, which was dedicated in Liberty State Park on September 11, 2011, the ...

. It stands against the backdrop of

Kensico Dam The Kensico Reservoir is a reservoir spanning the towns of Armonk (North Castle) and Valhalla ( Mount Pleasant), New York, located 3 miles (5 km) north of White Plains. It was formed by the original earth and gravel Kensico Dam constructed in 1885 ...

, commemorating the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...

on America and remembering in a special way the men and women from Westchester County who were victims of those attacks."The Rising: Westchester County's September 11th Memorial"
WestchesterGov.com. accessed September 15, 2011.

Design

The design for ''The Rising'' was unanimously chosen by the Westchester Family Victims and Survivors Group from among entries in an international design competition.Faith and Form Journal
retrieved February 20, 2011. The design process was "an exacting and intense collaborative effort of architects, engineers 3D computer specialists, sculptors, welders, government representatives, and members of the families" of the victims. The memorial is dedicated to the victims of the 9-11 attacks from Westchester, and lists the names of residents who died as a result of those attacks, along with the names of the communities within the counties in which they lived. It also includes a quote about each one, engraved along the outside of the memorial's circular base, were chosen by the survivors in their families. From the base, 109 steel rods, one for each of the victims remembered by this memorial, extend like spokes of a wheel which then intertwine. A 110th rod was crafted for the memorial as well, but that rod was cut apart so that each portion could be presented to an individual who helped make this memorial possible.Westchester Journal News
retrieved February 20, 2011. Architect Frederic Schwartz has stated that the goal of his design was to create a memorial that "invites families and visitors to look back in memory of their loved ones and look forward as a community, and provides a place for prayer and reflection....The 109 intertwined strands (like DNA) rise 80 feet from the ground reaching upward to the heavens. The rods are bound together in a literal and symbolic gesture exemplifying the strength of the Westchester community and the families who lost loved ones."
retrieved February 20, 2011. Schwartz notes that the "reflective quality of the stainless steel" is designed to change according to the time and light of day, so that there is a "dynamic quality" to the structure, and in many ways the visitors themselves will become part of the structure as well. The goal, according to Schwartz, is that the memorial might provide "a gathering place and reaffirms the capacity of individuals as well as the Westchester community to renew and grow."

The victims

109 Westchester residents are remembered through this memorial.VoicesOfSeptember11.org
retrieved February 20, 2011. The memorial also includes the names of ten additional victims who had been former residents of Westchester. There were actually 110 residents of Westchester; one was unintentionally omitted. The design remained unchanged. The person's name was added to the stones.

Dedication

The memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2006, five years after the attacks. It included a recitation of all the names of the victims remembered by this memorial, music performed by the Mayor's Interfaith Community Choir of

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

, and a special performance of the 2002 song, " The Rising," created by

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

Awards

The ''Faith and Form Journal'' (''The Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art, and Architecture'') recognized ''The Rising'' with its 2007 Faith and Form Sacred Landscape Award.

References

External links