Across Jersey City, a network of dedicated public landmarks stands as an enduring testament to the devastation of September 11, 2001. As New Jersey's second-largest city, the municipality holds a unique and solemn place in the history of that morning, functioning not only as a community that grieved profound loss but also as an immediate staging ground for urgent rescue and humanitarian aid.
The city honors the victims of the terrorist attacks through three primary memorial installations: the Jersey City 9/11 Memorial situated along the downtown waterfront, the Journal Square 9/11 Memorial Plaza near the newly developed Journal skyscraper complex, and the Empty Sky Memorial positioned within Liberty State Park.
Each of these commemorative sites pays tribute to local residents who died during the attacks, originally listing 38 victims before the official count was updated to 39. Across the nation, more than 2,970 individuals lost their lives when hijacked airliners struck the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Approximately 750 of those victims were New Jersey residents, leaving an indelible mark on communities along the Hudson River corridor.
Beyond honoring the deceased, Jersey City's memorials commemorate the city's vital role as a haven of refuge. In the chaotic hours immediately following the collapse of the Twin Towers, maritime vessels ferried thousands of displaced and wounded survivors across the river to the Jersey City shoreline, where emergency workers quickly converted the waterfront into a sprawling triage operation.
Local emergency medical technicians and first responders worked tirelessly along the shoreline to treat incoming casualties. Among them was Jersey City EMT Carlos Garrafa, who tended to patients for 15 straight hours before answering a desperate call for mutual aid in Lower Manhattan. He was subsequently stationed at the Staten Island Terminal to assist incoming casualties from Ground Zero before finally crossing back into Jersey City the following day.
Upon his return, Garrafa was met with a hero's welcome from grateful residents, an accolade he found difficult to accept given the sheer magnitude of the catastrophe. Reflecting on his service, Garrafa noted that while responders often felt they could not save everyone from the devastation, they committed everything within their power to assist those in need during the crisis.
The downtown Jersey City 9/11 Memorial stands directly upon the waterfront grounds where the city's late mayor, Glenn Cunningham, coordinated first responders and directed triage efforts. Cunningham, who passed away in 2004, formally dedicated the waterfront site on the first anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2002.
A central element of this downtown tribute is the inclusion of authentic World Trade Center steel. The artifact, known as the "Twisted Mangle," consists of recovered structural girders welded into the distinct shape of the letter "A," representing one of many steel remnants distributed to regional memorial sites to provide a tangible link to Ground Zero.
The downtown site features three distinct elements: the welded steel girders, a polished black granite slab inscribed with the names of Jersey City victims, and a life-sized bronze sculpture entitled the Makeshift Memorial. Together, these components form an integrated space for reflection along the waterfront walkway.
The Makeshift Memorial was produced in 2004 by sculptor John Seward Johnson II as a recreation of his 1982 bronze artwork, "Double Check." The original statue, which portrayed a seated businessman sorting through his briefcase in Lower Manhattan, survived the tower collapses and became an impromptu gathering spot where mourners left flowers and notes in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
Every year, municipal leaders and residents assemble at the downtown waterfront site for a commemorative service. The ceremony takes place in the early morning hours, intentionally timed to precede the precise moment when the first hijacked aircraft collided with the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex.
Further south along the shoreline, the Empty Sky Memorial in Liberty State Park provides a statewide tribute to New Jersey's fallen. Located near the historic Central Railroad Terminal of New Jersey, the twin-walled installation frames the view across the Hudson River where the World Trade Center towers once dominated the Manhattan skyline.
Meanwhile, the memorial at Journal Square possesses its own distinct civic history. The location initially featured a public fountain constructed in 1994 as part of a municipal redevelopment initiative under the administration of then-Mayor Bret Schundler. After persistent mechanical failures, the fountain was repurposed and rededicated in 2002 to honor Jersey City's 9/11 victims.
Local television host Pat O'Melia organized the inaugural 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the Journal Square fountain in 2002. O'Melia subsequently championed the establishment of the Circle of Honor, an arrangement of engraved stones encircling the basin that recognized individuals who made significant, positive contributions to the local civic community.
Over the ensuing decades, the Journal Square site underwent dramatic changes due to urban redevelopment. In 2022, work commenced on One Journal Square—a multi-tower residential project developed by the Kushner Companies, now referred to as the Journal—leading to the eventual removal of the original fountain structure and the surrounding honor stones.
Despite the structural transformation of Journal Square, community advocates and city officials have sought to ensure the site's solemn purpose remains intact. Prior to construction, O'Melia met with developer representatives and then-Mayor Steven Fulop, who offered assurances that tribute markers, including plaques detailing the names of local victims, would be preserved so that future generations continue to remember the sacrifices of that fateful day.
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