Doorway into the Past through an Original WTC Subway Entrance
There is a piece of the original World Trade Center that has been preserved at the E train subway entrance from the Oculus, and I always like to use this entrance as a moment of reflection anytime I happen to be in the neighborhood. It is easy to miss this, or think that the older looking section is misplaced in light of the clean white aesthetic of the Oculus as you cross from one section to another, but preserving this original WTC subway entrance is a really thoughtful tribute and reminder of the events of 9/11 that happened right at the very spot you are crossing through.
There is a small sign that explains – “This World Trade Center subway entrance retains the same design and appearance of this space as it existed prior to the terrorist attacks of of September 11, 2001. Many of the materials in this area, including the travertine floor, signage, doors, and other fixtures, have been preserved from the original World Trade Center complex. This space was used by thousands of daily commuters and visitors to the original World Trade Center, and now maintains the same function as as part of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.”
Depending on which side you are coming from, there is a door with markings that is easy to miss, but tells an incredible story of the horror that was being dealt with in the aftermath of 9/11. You can see the orange markings in one of the doors in all the pictures below.
You can see the difference in the original section compared to the new white flooring of the Oculus below –
This is what the door looks like up close, and there is a sign that explains the markings – “The markings on this door were made by the search and rescue teams in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. The code indicates that the search occurred on September 13, 2001. The “X” in a box represents that the conditions at that time made this a dangerous area. The other symbols represent that the search of the area was undertaken by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA, Massachusetts Task Force.”
This subway entrance is the doorway from the E trade station to the Oculus, which you can also take from the Chambers Street A/C station if you walk towards the Oculus.
I feel a catch in my throat every time I walk through this, as I am feeling while writing this post. Never Forget.
