Spire Fitted Atop Freedom Tower

The Freedom Tower took one major step closer to completion on Thursday when construction crews placed a 408-foot spire on top of the building. The spire, which bore the American flag during the process, weighs 758 tons and will be a transmitter to broadcast television and radio waves, as well as an aircraft-warning beacon. But most of all, it will serve as a symbol of America’s continued effort to honor and recover from the tragic events of September 11 that destroyed the initial Twin Towers and cost thousands of lives.

“It will give a tremendous indication to people around the entire region, and the world, that we’re back and better than ever,” site construction manager Steven Plate told the New York Post.

A few fun facts about the date of the spire’s placement:

It was supposed to be put in place on Monday, but delays pushed it back to Thursday, which just so happened to be the two-year anniversary of when Seal Team 6 killed Osama bin Laden.

The spire makes the tower exactly 1,776 feet tall.

The spire could make the Freedom Tower, officially named 1 World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere (beating out the Willis Tower in Chicago), but only if it is not discounted as an antenna, in which case it would not technically be considered a permanent part of the building.

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