Conshy, West Conshy to Collaborate on 9/11 Ceremony

Conshohocken and West Conshohocken will both be holding ceremonies tonight to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks; many people, and one thing, will be attending both.

Things start off with a candlelight vigil in front of West Conshohocken’s borough hall at 6 p.m. Then, the Washington Fire Co. in Conshohocken will hold a service, as well as a groundbreaking ceremony for its 9/11 memorial, at 7:30 p.m.

A piece of the World Trade Center’s North Tower will be on display in West Conshohocken … and then it will be escorted across the river to West Elm Street.

Washington Fire Co. Captain Mike Maxwell said the fire company acquired the artifact while making a donation.

“We got the steel from the chairman of the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund — we requested it from him while we were in the process of donating a used fire truck to the organization,” Maxwell said. “We asked, and it was a long shot, but he gave us one from his personal collection.”

The artifact is a 2-foot square piece of steel. It weighs about 150 pounds and will be the focal point of the memorial, which will be built on a roughly 20-foot by 30-foot plot adjacent to the firehouse. The piece has been staying in a back room at the fire company. 

“It really acts as a strong reminder of what happened that day,” Maxwell said. “It actually gives you chills when you touch it — especially around this time.”

The ceremony and groundbreaking may have extra meaning for the Washington Fire Company’s President, and 32-year volunteer, Andrew Carlin. Carlin, who is also a police officer in West Conshohocken, said he remembers when his police department sent officers to New York City on 9/11 to help with foot patrol, giving relief to New York City police officers.

“We’ve never seen anything like 9/11,” Carlin said. “It hurt, and they hit us in the heart. Something like this memorial helps keep the memory alive.”

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The Washington Fire Co. is in the process of raising the $75,000 needed to build the memorial.

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• West Conshohocken Borough Hall is located at 112 Ford St.

• The Washington Fire Co. is located at 36 West Elm St.

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Are you going to tonight’s ceremonies?