North Canton Heritage Society

The Society has so far (June 22, 2012) raised over $73,000 toward its "Open the Door to History" campaign.  Plans are being drawn, and bids will soon be solicited for the handicapped-accessible entrance at the Portage Street School (see drawing above).    We hope to move this fall if all goes well.  BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! Our architect estimates the cost for the renovations will be $115,000.  Please consider donating today.  Go to our Gift Shop tab, scroll down to the bottom to make a $50 donation on your credit card via Pay Pal.  Thank you!

NCHS Director Kathy Fernandez holds the WTC artifact

A small piece of the giant World Trade Center, destroyed in the terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda on September 11, 2001, has come to reside in North Canton.

A piece of aluminum cladding, just three feet long, was recently given to the North Canton Heritage Society by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, owners of the Trade Center and the agency who collected remnants of the building for posterity.  Soon after the attacks, a group of representatives of local organizations, including the Port Authority and the New York Fire and Police Departments, was dispatched to areas where the wreckage was being hauled to identify items for preservation and protection.

After many of the artifacts were transferred to the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center site, the Port Authority determined to transfer over 1200 items to cities, towns and museums all over the country.

The North Canton Heritage Society learned about this distribution through its membership in the American Association for State and Local History and applied in the summer of 2011 to acquire a piece of our country’s recent history.

After several months, the Society received notice that its request had been granted and piece number B-0030 arrived in late March.  The aluminum strip, possibly part of the window trim, shows only a few signs of the massive destruction that occurred that eventful day, although its rubberized weather stripping is somewhat mangled.

The artifact will be placed on display at the Heritage Society with the following caption:  “A piece of aluminum cladding recovered from the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001, received courtesy of the Port Authority of NY and NJ and displayed in memory of the 2,752 victims, including 343 NYC Firefighters, 37 Port Authority Police Officers and 23 NYC Police Officers.” 

After the Society’s planned move to the Portage St. School this fall, a special case will be constructed for the WTC artifact.

Need a holiday gift for that hard-to-buy-for person? Want to honor a veteran, or show your own support of veterans?

Think about buying a commemorative brick at the North Canton Veterans Memorial in Bitzer Park.

The public may still purchase bricks, either to honor or memorialize a veteran of any war, or to show their personal support of the project by listing their own name on the brick, which are installed on the patio of the memorial.

Bricks sell for $75 for a 4 by 8 inch three-line brick, and $125 for an 8 by 8 inch six-line brick. Each line is 20 characters long, including any spaces and punctuation. A certificate for gift giving will be supplied upon request.

Work is now completed on new brick walkways and landscaping through the park. Commemorative bricks purchased over this winter will be installed in late spring 2012. Funds raised by the additional brick sales will be used for a perpetual maintenance fund. Over $100,000 has already been spent on the project, with funds obtained from both the public and from local foundations.

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Are you interested in area history?  The North Canton Heritage Society is looking for volunteers.  We need folks that are available weekday mornings to help in our museum with cataloging, displays, research, computer work and more.  We’re also looking for a volunteer to be an assistant bookkeeper.  If you’re not available during the day, there are opportunities to help with special events or to serve on our board.  Help us preserve North Canton’s rich history by calling 330-494-4791 today!