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While many people will never have the chance to travel to New York City and see ground zero, Marshfield-area residents will have the opportunity to touch a piece of history on Sunday's 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department will hold a memorial and dedication of a 900-pound piece of a World Trade Center steel beam that now resides in its first floor hallway. The department received the artifact in May after applying to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for a relic more than two years ago.

"We encourage (touching the beam) ... unlike most pieces of history," said Fire Chief Jim Schmidt. "It's an emotional experience for many."

The event will be open to the public, and will feature speeches, a bagpiper and a gun salute from the Marshfield Police Department honor guard, Schmidt said.

The ceremony also includes the unveiling of the inscription on the display's plaque, a 65-word piece written by Hewitt resident Melissa Barnes. The submission from Barnes, the wife of a Marshfield firefighter and paramedic, was chosen out of nine in a contest soliciting descriptions of the impact of the attacks and later events, Schmidt said.

He said the Fire Department also is encouraging local churches to ring their bells in memoriam at specific times Sunday morning, coinciding with the moments when the planes crashed into the twin towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

The department is "extremely grateful" and "flattered" that it was one of the fire departments chosen to host such an important piece of American history, Schmidt said.

They're also "proud and grateful of the donation of time and materials to build" the display, Schmidt said, citing local companies including The Cabinet Shop, V&H Trucks and Marshfield Monument.

What: 9/11 memorial and dedication of World Trade Center beam display.

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

Where: Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department, 514 E. Fourth St., Marshfield

Cost: Free

Event includes: Keynote speakers, bagpipe music, a gun salute and a reading of the display's plaque inscription. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.