Morgan, New Jersey

The two tallest buildings in New York City as seen over Staten Island and through the railroad catenary wires from the Heights of Morgan, NJ. Left to Right: Mount Loretto Chimney on Staten Island, Empire State Building, 1 World Trade Center (Under Construction), and Steeple of Mount Loretto (Staten Island). Interestingly enough, the Chimney and Church Steeple are only 500 feet apart. Photo Taken on August 29, 2011.

On the beautiful day which came the day after Hurricane Irene blew through Morgan, I was able to look across the bay for the first time in two years (I live in California and was in Morgan for the tour, photographic presentation and dinner – see posting from 4 September 2011).  Rising up approximately where the twin towers of the World Trade Center used to be (see the photo in the 29 December 2009 posting) was the new 1 World Trade Center tower currently under construction.  I’m told they were working around the 72^nd floor on 29 August 2011, the date of the photo.  The building was nearly 1000’ tall and already the tallest structure in Lower Manhattan.  When complete, the structure will be 1776 feet tall.  I honestly didn’t know that construction had even started.  It is hard to believe that 10 years has already passed since that tragic day.

In addition to what would have been my father’s 90^th birthday, today is also the 235^th anniversary of another event which occurred near to Morgan and Manhattan’s Ground Zero but in 1776 – the year corresponding to the height of the new building.  On September 11, 1776, a Peace Conference intending to put an end to the American Revolution was held on Staten Island.  To learn more about this conference, see the Morgan-NJ.org posting from 12 September 2010.

Images of the construction of 1 World Trade Center and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum can be found here.