Remembrance

In the aftermath of 9/11, the University and the families of the fourteen* alumni lost immediately began plans for a memorial to the victims. There was much discussion about the type of memorial and where it should be sited. But the consensus was that, whatever its form, the memorial must embody an affirmation of life—and the concept of a garden emerged. There was also agreement that the fourteen* individuals’ names should appear in the garden.

But where should the garden be located? University architects, grounds personnel, and consulting landscape architects formed a team that studied possible sites; they envisioned a place that was prominent and easy to find, but also somewhat sheltered, to allow for quiet contemplation. The site chosen is just a few steps east of Nassau Hall and is embraced on three sides by the historic brownstone facades of East Pyne and Chancellor Green.

A gravel path leads to the garden entrance, through an opening in the boxwood hedge. There stands Toshiko Takaezu’s gift, a great bronze bell hanging low to the ground. It was selected by University President Shirley Tilghman for inclusion in the garden.

To include the alumni names, the team borrowed from a past Princeton tradition of memorializing alumni war dead by engraving the person’s name onto a bronze star. For the 9/11 garden, fourteen* stars were fabricated and inset into brownstone panels. The panels were laid in a sunburst pattern covering the garden’s floor. Surrounding this central space are stone benches and flowering beds of oakleaf hydrangea, fothergilla, nandina, and hostas. Spreading overhead are two atlas cedar trees.

The bronze stars together form a circle, the universal symbol of life and continuity. Each September 11, during memorial services, the bell is struck fourteen* times.

*This transcript has been corrected to reflect that fourteen Princeton graduates died during the attacks of September 11, 2001, based on information received by the University in 2016.