Commemorating the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Twin Towers

A stainless-steel pedestal that commemorated the dedication of the World Trade Center site in 1973 is displayed at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. The pedestal survived the 9/11 attacks.

This stainless-steel pedestal installed on the WTC plaza commemorated the dedication of the WTC site. Photo by Jin S. Lee, 9/11 Memorial.

Construction of the World Trade Center began in August 1966. At 110 stories each, 1 World Trade Center, or the North Tower, and 2 World Trade Center, the South Tower, provided nearly 10 million square feet of office space. Reaching more than a quarter of a mile into the sky, they were the tallest buildings in New York City, and for a brief period, they were the tallest buildings in the world.

Before construction of either skyscraper had been completed, the world’s tallest buildings were dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 4, 1973. With this stainless-steel pedestal later installed on the five-acre plaza to commemorate the occasion. The inscription reads: "In commemoration of the skill and industry of the thousands of construction workers and Port Authority personnel whose efforts created the World Trade Center | World Trade Center dedication day April 4, 1973."

The survival of the pedestal within the ruins of the World Trade Center encapsulates the life cycle of this famous landmark. It still retains the original metallic sheen of the Twin Towers' facade but also shows the dents and scars from their destruction on 9/11.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff