Local landmark to be demolished

A well-known memorial wall in Hartsdale will soon disappear.

A tiled tribute The wall at Richard Presser park, featuring tiles devoted to the memory of 9/11 victims.

BY DEBORAH SKOLNIK

If you’ve ever driven north on Central Avenue—and who hasn’t?—then you’ve seen the 9/11 wall at Richard Presser Park in Hartsdale. It’s hard to miss, as it features more than 1, 800 tiles, all hand-painted by Westchester residents. A piece of metal from the World Trade Center is attached to the wall as well, a poignant reminder of the disastrous attack that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people who were in the Twin Towers on that fateful day. But after 22 years, in a sad case of art imitating life, the wall devoted to their memory will be coming down.

Restoration efforts unsuccessful

“Sadly, the wall has never held up. We had to repair the wall twice. Tiles cracked from the mural, and hundreds of them have fallen, many unusable,” said Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. He cited construction difficulties, including issues of dampness and drainage, that made it very difficult to reattach the tiles. Artwork on the rear side also has not held up, as it was created with non-weather-resistant paint. 

All tiles were removed from the wall last year, and the town retained an art conservation firm to explore the possibility of restoration. The verdict was unpromising: The firm estimated that refurbishment would cost as much as $100,000, with no guarantee the wall would last.

New memorial and location under discussion

The Greenburgh Town Board will talk about a replacement memorial in the coming months, and is likely to move forward with one. It would be placed in a different location, however, possibly Greenburgh Town Hall. The Rotary Clubs, which commissioned the original memorial and were involved in its funding, have expressed interest in contributing towards the new one. “Once the wall Is down, Richard Presser Park will have more open space for residents to enjoy,” Feiner said.