We take a step out of the routine today, and focus instead, on this 5th anniversary of September 11, on a national story -- the sole remaining above-ground remnant of the World Trade Center. The “Survivors’ Staircase” is a powerful reminder of that infamous day. Hundreds of persons ran up these stairs to safety from Tower 2 that fateful morning in the minutes before the building’s collapse.

The staircase serves as an illustration of the power of tangible artifacts to connect us with the past – even, in this case, a painful one. Through brick, stone and glass, these landmarks connect us with our ancestors in ways that no words can do. We can touch them, interact with them, and the past becomes real.

Unfortunately, the future of the Survivors’ Staircase is anything but certain. The site developer has been silent on its fate, despite the work of the World Trade Center Survivors’ Network to promote its preservation. Even though a remnant of the recent past, the magnitude of its significance caused the National Trust for Historic Preservation to name the staircase to its List of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

Now, the Trust has found a way for you to help. By clicking here, you can visit the Trust website and there sign a petition to preserve the Survivors’ Staircase – and also read about the ongoing efforts to safeguard the future of this unique and powerful piece of American history.

Photo Credit: Survivors' Staircase, World Trade Center Site, New York City/roniweb/Creative Commons License