New York City – Titanic Memorial Lighthouse

Fulton Street between Pearl and Water St

The Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, in the Titanic Memorial Park, is a modest reminder, rising to a height of 60ft (18m) relatively far from the original planned landing point.

Even though this was its final destination, there are a few reminders in New York of the Titanic, as unfortunately, the tragic end came long before it arrived in port.

Built in honor of the passengers and crew members who died in the cold waters of the Atlantic after the maiden voyage of the largest ship of the day, the Titanic, collided with an iceberg 4 days after it departed from Europe at 2/3 of its journey.

The surviving passengers (705) were brought a few days later to New York via the ship Carpathia, but despite several New Yorkers being present to welcome them, their hearts may not have been too much for celebration but rather for relief for some and heartbreak for others. The arrival was on April 18, 1912.

The families of those who perished were given two options: repatriation of the bodies to their respective cities or accepting that Halifax would be their final resting place.

The lighthouse was erected following collective efforts to highlight the moving event that cost the lives of nearly 1,500 souls. It was one of the worst incidents in history. The project was supported by the Seamen Church where the monument was erected high up one year after the tragedy. The lighthouse also included a clock where at noon a black ball slid to mark the time and could signal the sea route with its green beam.

The lighthouse may not be that impressive in size on the ground, but knowing that it was originally installed on top of a Seamen Church changes our opinion. Forced to be demolished in 1968, the composition was chosen to be kept on Fulton Street in a park. Some features have been lost over time: the reminder of time, with its noon abacus system and the luminous maritime marker.

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