A Labor of Love

Downed branches, twigs and leaves littered the ground at the McCourt Memorial Garden on the morning of September 2. By midday, however, dozens of volunteers armed with chainsaws and rakes and hauling tarps laden with leaves had made great headway clearing the site of debris scattered in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

The two-day cleanup effort drew individual volunteers of all ages, including members of the New London Garden Club, the Waterford Girl Scout Troop, and . All were intent on restoring the 9/11 memorial garden in time for a service to commemorate the 10th anniversary of tragedy.  

“I’m just amazed by the response,” said Paula Clifford Scott, who was instrumental in creating the memorial garden. The memorial, however, has always been a labor of love and was a volunteer effort right from the start.

Although the garden is named for Clifford Scott’s daughter Ruth McCourt and her 4-year-old granddaughter Juliana, who were aboard one of the hijacked planes which crashed into the World Trade Center on that tragic day, the garden is dedicated to all 12 victims from southeastern Connecticut who died in the attacks.

Members of the New London Garden Club hatched a plan to create a memorial garden shortly after the tragedy, Garden Club and Memorial Garden Treasurer Betty Pinson said. However, it took them until 2003 to find a suitable location. That was when the director of the generously offered them the use of the grounds of the Deshon Allyn House.

Local police officers and firefighters built the stone walls and erected the wrought iron fences, and Garden Club volunteers planted and tended the surrounding gardens. The centerpiece, a metal thread-berry structure topped with glass globes representing the souls of the departed, provides a shady spot for quiet contemplation.

“I think everyone in this area was touched by somebody who knew somebody [lost in the tragedy],” said Mary Giragosian, who had brought seven girl scouts from Waterford Troop 63401 to help with the cleanup. “My brother-in-law was stuck in traffic in Bridgeport on his way to the twin towers that day.” She said she never really saw the positive side of a traffic jam until that day.

The commemorative event at the Memorial Garden will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 11, opening and closing with prayers from a Catholic priest and a rabbi, respectively, and featuring a performance by members of the U.S. Coast Guard Band. Local political leaders will also be on hand for the unveiling of a new plaque dedicated to all the donors who helped bring the garden into fruition.