A Permanent Place to Remember: Dover Unveils New 9/11 Memorial
Twenty-five years can change a community in countless ways. Children grow up, families change and a new generation comes along with no memory of where they were on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
But some things are meant to be remembered.
Hundreds gathered in the Cocheco Mill Courtyard for Dover’s memorial dedication.
On Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, hundreds of community members gathered in the Cocheco Mill Courtyard in downtown Dover for the unveiling of the city’s new permanent 9/11 memorial. Firefighters, police officers, city leaders, families, and residents filled the courtyard as Dover marked the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks together.
Standing approximately 11 feet high, the granite memorial was created as a place for remembrance, reflection and education. Its panels recognize the places forever associated with that morning while honoring the victims, survivors, first responders and members of the military whose lives were changed by Sept. 11.
BRENDAN DRISCOLL, Dover's current fire chief, stands by waiting for the dedication ceremony to commence.
For Dover, that connection is also deeply personal. Four people with ties to the city lost their lives in the attacks: Douglas Stone, Kathleen and Michael Shearer, and David Scott Suarez.
There is particular meaning in where the memorial now stands. The Cocheco Mill Courtyard was also the site of Dover’s first remembrance gathering following the attacks. Twenty-five years later, the community has returned to that same place, but this time to dedicate something meant to remain for generations.
The memorial grew from an effort involving city leaders, Dover’s police and fire departments, former Fire Chief Perry Plummer, current and former mayors, and others who came together around the goal of completing it for the 25th anniversary.
Bagpipers take part in Dover’s 9/11 memorial dedication ceremony.
For those who remember Sept. 11, the memorial offers a place to stop and reflect on a day that can still feel remarkably close despite the years that have passed.
For those who were not yet born, it offers something equally important: a place to learn.
And now, in the heart of downtown Dover on Central Avenue, there is a permanent place for both.
Dover police and fire personnel march in honor during the memorial ceremony.
Dover Fire & Rescue displays a large American flag above the memorial site.
