Historical NotesA memorial fountain was erected on the World Trade Center’s Austin J. Tobin Plaza in 1995, directly above the site of the explosion. It was designed by New York City–based artist Elyn Zimmerman (American, b. 1945). Arrayed around the fountain were the names of the six victims:
John DiGiovanni,
Robert Kirkpatrick,
Stephen A. Knapp,
William Macko,
Wilfredo Mercado, and
Monica Rodriguez Smith and her unborn child.
In addition there was an inscription in Spanish, the native language of two of those killed, and in English: “On February 26, 1993, a bomb set by terrorists exploded below this site. This horrible act of violence killed innocent people, injured thousands, and made victims of us all.”
The 1993 memorial was destroyed on 9/11. This fragment, bearing part of the name of bombing victim John DiGiovanni, was the only piece recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. For many personally affected by the events of February 26, the relic has become the focus of annual commemorations.