The park is dotted with nondenominational chapels and other architectural features of a memorial and patriotic nature. It is also home to one of the largest cemetery complexes within a U.S. urban center, and attracts visitors from all over the country.
But the memorial’s beginning was fraught with disagreement over who would oversee the project. Cooler heads prevailed, and the idea of a park was born.
A Place of Reflection
Memorial parks are a place where visitors can reflect on the lives of their loved ones who have died. This reflection allows people to process their emotions and find closure, thereby promoting healing. In addition, memorial parks also provide events and services that help individuals cope with their losses.
Memorial park architecture can support this process of reflection and healing through the use of figurative and abstract representation, spatial immersion and separation, mobility, multisensory qualities, and the use of names. For example, a memorial pool can help visitors to focus on the sensory aspects of the site (e.g., cascading water, rainbow, bottomless pit), which can lead to a more symbolic interpretation of the site.
By contrast, a memorial at a site of mass graves may present a hodgepodge of corpses without hierarchy, in stark contrast to the privileged burial sites for Franco and Primo de Rivera in a basilica (see section 3.7). This democratization of the memorial experience can help to heal wounds at both the individual and collective level.
A Place of Healing
Memorial parks offer more than just a final resting place. They help foster communities and promote healing for those who have lost a loved one. The park provides comfort and support to families who have suffered a great loss by offering tranquil gardens, meditation areas, and scenic walking paths.
In addition, memorial parks often host community events and gatherings that allow individuals to come together with others and share their experiences. This can be an important aspect of the healing process because it reminds individuals that they are not alone in their grief.
In addition, memorial parks can also act as a repository of memories, preserving the legacy of those who have passed away. This can be done through archives, digital platforms, or curated exhibitions. These efforts can create a lasting legacy that will help future generations to find comfort and solace in the face of their own losses.
A Place of Community
The Memorial Park is a place to honor our community and those who have passed away. It is also a place to celebrate the lives of our loved ones, and to find peace.
The memorial consists of twin waterfall pools set within a plaza where more than 400 swamp white oaks thrive. It includes the names of those who died in the attacks, engraved into bronze parapets that surround the pools. The site also features a remembrance walk, a forecourt with a tear-shaped reflecting pool, and a tree known as the Survivor Tree, which survived the World Trade Center attack and has since been nursed back to health.
The memorial serves as the Village’s reminder that many Horseheads residents have served in past wars to protect our freedom. The park also contains a veterans memorial and bench to sit and reflect by. It is also a great spot for Tappan Zee gazing (you know, parking your car facing the bridge and having a make out session)…
A Place of Peace
Memorial parks serve as a physical representation of the shared history and heritage of a community, helping to establish a common cultural identity. They can also provide a space for individuals to process the emotions associated with loss and find closure, which can be essential for healing.
The memorial park also houses a Peace Bell, which is lit in the hope that nuclear weapons will be abolished worldwide. The bell was created by renowned bell-caster Masahiko Katori and is embossed with a single unified world map without borders, symbolizing the interconnectedness of all nations.
In addition, there is a meditation garden and a large Peace Pole that is kept simple to let the beauty of the flowers and trees stand out. The Peace Pole includes the standard sentiment universal to all peace poles: “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” This is a place where residents can find their own personal peace and reflect on those lost on September 11. The Memorial Park is one of the most peaceful locations in the Village.