On September 11, 2001, here at Historic Richmond Town, we were scheduled to celebrate the opening of the exhibition “Mother Goose Meets Harry Potter,” which focused on the history of children’s literature.  As we all know, that day did not go as planned.

The following year we mounted an exhibition that was never in our long-range plan, titled “Reflections: September 11 Through Staten Island Eyes.”  It was a difficult yet rewarding project.  One unexpected result was the way in which the exhibit’s “Book of Remembrance” came to serve as a community diary and message board.  Adults and children, neighbors and overseas visitors alike used this modest notebook as a way to reach out to each other, remembering loved ones and offering statements of sorrow, sympathy, and hope.

That notebook is now part of our permanent collection, to be preserved for the future as an archival treasure.  Below are transcriptions of just a few of the handwritten entries it holds.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with America and Staten Island on the one year anniversary of this tragedy.  Much love from Dublin, Ireland.”

“In the 60’s and 70’s my late father was a safety inspector for the construction workers of the Twin Towers & the Verrazano Bridge, so as a child I felt those structures belonged to me. … The evil monsters that destroyed the WTC took away a landmark to my dad & I could never forgive that.  They’ve even made me fearful of crossing the Verrazano.  How senseless to have all this loss of innocent & heroic lives.  … I only wish this was never a part of my children’s history!”

“To my Brother officers that were taken that day, I pray that god holds you in his hands and may he watch over your families.”

“9/22/02  I remember the day it happened, we were in school and my teacher was crying and we didn’t know why.  Our teacher told us something happened in Manhattan so many of the kids were crying.  Our moms picked us up and as soon as we saw them we hugged each other and our moms. … I thank the firefighters very much, if it weren’t for them it would be much worse.  Thanks so much for all you did.”

“I hope we never forget those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.  We should all share our feelings because on Sept. 11, 2001 we did and we still should.”

“11/17/02 … May we all live to love and understand and cherish our differences.  If we were all the same we would be robots and that wouldn’t be any way to live.  Rest in Peace, Live in Peace.  God Bless us each and every one.”

by Sarah Clark, 9/1/2011