The Firemen’s Memorial

Slightly masked by the trees and apartment buildings that it lies between; the Firemen’s Memorial provides a sense of solace to residents that use the site to mourn lost loved ones.

The Firemen’s Memorial is located at the intersection of 100th street and Riverside Drive on the upper west side of Manhattan. The memorial, nestled between apartment buildings and sheltering trees, provides a peaceful oasis in the middle of New York City. Sounds of flowing water from the fountain at the bottom of the memorial offer a welcome change from the city’s otherwise cacophony of cars, construction, and people. Shade from the surrounding trees provides visitors with a sense of respite from the blistering heat of the summer sun. The environment encourages visitors to respectfully pause and settle in the ample seating space around the memorial, where they often converse in hushed voices or simply engage with the memorial in their own ways.

The atmosphere the memorial creates is one of its remarkable elements, and its deep history is another. The memorial was the first monument erected solely for firefighters who lost their lives protecting the city. Bishop Potter initially requested the memorial’s construction after the Canal Street fire of 1908 claimed the life of the beloved Deputy Fire Chief Charles W. Kruger. After learning that there was not a single memorial in the New York City area to honor the city’s firefighters, he hired architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle and sculptor Attilio Piccirilli to design the memorial for all firefighters who had and would lose their lives protecting the community. As such, the inscription and decorative aspects of the monument do not reference one tragic event but rather the sacrifices that firefighters regularly make. The mural above the waterfall that depicts a horse-drawn fire engine racing to an emergency, and the statues of mourning widows on the north and south end of the memorial all reflect the sentiments of sacrifice, duty, and, ultimately, loss — themes that are timeless and contribute to the longevity of the memorial.

The FDNY community has cherished the memorial for over a century. It is where they host the annual FDNY Memorial Day, a 114-year-old tradition, as well as the annual 9/11 commemoration to remember and honor their lost comrades. Unable to understand what precisely drew firefighters to the Firemen’s Memorial after 9/11, I paid a visit to Engine 74 to get some insight. Robert “Bobby” Stanlewicz, who lost his work partner Ruben D. Correa to the attacks, attempted to explain the significance to me. “That’s where we…” he kept repeating, unable to finish the sentence as if the reason was intuitive to him but difficult to explain to an outsider. He did communicate the sense of pride he felt for the monument and the comfort he felt there, having mourned lost colleagues at the location over multiple Memorial Days. Bobby mentioned that an engine in the Bronx officially organizes the annual 9/11 memorial. Yet, the passion with which he spoke about the memorial suggested that he would go there to mourn his colleague lost to 9/11 with or without an official event. It was personal.

Bobby’s difficulty explaining the importance of the site to me stemmed partially from the fact that I will never understand his experience. I know why the memorial is significant to the FDNY intellectually but not emotionally, and that’s what makes it so special. FDNY members can gather with their community to honor their shared experiences and mourn their colleagues at a site that will always be just for them. It was a special and private place for this community to congregate after the tragedy of 9/11 claimed so many of their lives.

The mural above the water fountain depicts a horse-drawn fire engine racing towards a fire. The sound of the water evokes a sense of peace and calm.

The two statues on the north and south ends of the memorial represent the firefighters’ motto: duty and sacrifice. The statue pictured here references sacrifice with a widow cradling her husband killed in the line of duty.

The statue located at the south end of the memorial depicts duty. In it, a young mother comforts her child while clutching a raincoat and helmet that belonged to her late husband, who lost his life in the line of duty.

“Ruben was never found,” Bobby told me matter-of-factly. A single rose left by a visitor lies under the inscription dedicated to the brave firefighters of New York City, like Ruben D. Correa of Engine 74, who lost their lives protecting the community.