By Emily Schopfer
MIDDLETOWN – As the sun set on Sept. 11, Middletown gathered as one community to both mourn and honor its 37 residents who died 25 years ago, Sept. 11, 2001. At the newly renovated World Trade Center Memorial Gardens next to the Middletown train station, hundreds of first responders, township and county officials, and community members held a candlelit vigil and read the names of the 37.
During the Friday evening ceremony, a candle was lit and Middletown Fire Chief Daniel P. Kelly tolled a bell as each of the names was read. In addition to the 37 who died on that day, the crowd also honored the late Middletown Township Police Detective Lt. Joseph C. Capriotti. Capriotti died June 6, 2019, from World Trade Center-related pancreatic cancer. In addition to volunteering at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks, Capriotti was known as “keeper of the list.” He had been tasked with notifying Middletown families that their loved ones had been killed.
Each of the 37 residents has their own monument along the trail; Capriotti has one, too.
“This anniversary carries a new responsibility, however,” Middletown Mayor Tony Perry said at the event. “An entire generation has grown up with no memory of Sept. 11. So, we must teach them.”
“September 11th is a moment in history that changed Middletown forever. From our first responders rushing into action, despite the risks to their own safety and health, to the loss of 37 residents, family members, neighbors, and friends, 9/11 was not only a national tragedy – it was deeply personal for Middletown,” Perry told The Two River Times after the event. “Our promise to never forget is a vow we take seriously, and one that our community continues to uphold a quarter-century later. It was heartwarming to see so many people attend the ceremony, but it was not surprising. Middletown is a community that embraces patriotism, supports its neighbors, and comes together during the most difficult times. That is exactly what our community did as we marked this solemn 25thanniversary.”
The evening also featured a group prayer, the presentation of the colors by the Middletown Township Police Department Honor Guard, and a National Anthem performance by Aiden, a member of the Applaud Our Kids Foundation’s Performance Group. Fellow member Sofia performed “Amazing Grace” later in the evening.
Middletown Township experienced the most casualties of any municipality outside of New York City in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
In remembrance of those residents who were killed, the township dedicated a World Trade Center (WTC) Memorial Gardens in 2003, created by the Middletown WTC Memorial Committee, a nonprofit group chaired by former Middletown Mayor Patrick W. Parkinson.
In May, as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approached, the township announced it would invest over half a million dollars in improvements to the gardens. The township awarded the contract to the Cookstown-based Vulcan Construction Group Inc. for $730,690, well below an initial budget estimate of $1.55 million. The final cost was $835,000.
The project included a restored walkway, enhanced lighting, refreshed landscaping, irrigation improvements, and additional benches for visitors to sit and reflect.
“The Township Committee and I are incredibly proud of the improvements made to the WTC Memorial Gardens,” Perry said. “This sacred space deserves our utmost care and respect, and I cannot think of a more meaningful way to demonstrate that commitment than by ensuring it remains properly maintained and preserved for generations to come.”
The article originally appeared in the September 17 – 23, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
