A Fragment of History

A fragment of the destroyed granite memorial to the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing is on display at the Museum. The name John can be made out on the chunk of red, white, and black granite.
Photo of the fragment from the 1993 memorial. Photo by Jin Lee.

Two years after terrorists detonated a van loaded with explosives in the parking garage of the World Trade Center killing six and injuring more than 1,000 innocent people, a memorial fountain, built directly above the blast site, was dedicated and opened to the public.

Designed by New York City artist, Elyn Zimmerman, the memorial design mirrored a temporary memorial created by Port Authority staff in March of 1993. The names of the victims, John DiGiovanni, Robert Kirkpatrick, Stephen Knapp, William Macko, Wilfredo Mercado, and Monica Rodriguez Smith (and her unborn child) were inscribed in a 30-foot by 30-foot granite memorial which was placed on the World Trade Center’s Austin J. Tobin Plaza.

On Sept. 11, 2001 the 1993 memorial fountain was destroyed. Only a single fragment from the 1993 memorial, bearing part of John Giovanni’s name, was recovered from the rubble.

On February 26, 2005, the remnant was placed in a temporary memorial near Ground Zero. For years, the fragment has been part of the ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the first attack on the World Trade Center.

A reliquary box was created by a friend of victim William Macko to house the fragment during the ceremony. The fragment has since been relocated to the 9/11 Memorial Museum where it can be seen on display with other artifacts from the 1933 bombing.

By 9/11 Memorial & Museum Staff

Previous Post

The Sculptor Who Created The Sphere, a Symbol of Resilience, Dead at 92

The heavily damaged Koenig Sphere stands in the debris of Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks. Dozens of rescue workers stand around the sphere. The rubble of the Twin Towers can be seen in the background.

The sculptor who created The Sphere, the sculptural centerpiece of the World Trade Center site that became a symbol of resilience when it was damaged but left standing on 9/11, has died at 92.

View Blog Post

Next Post

Ceremony Today Honors Victims of the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing

A person places a bundle of multicolored roses at a name on a bronze parapet at the Memorial during a ceremony remembering the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will hold a ceremony today to honor the six people who were killed in the first attack at the World Trade Center on February 26, 1993.

View Blog Post