The One World Trade Center building received some of its final touches Thursday, and it was a special time for all who came to witness as the final tip of the structure's spire was hoisted to the top of the building.

The One World Trade Center skyscraper, formally known as the Freedom Tower, is planned to stand at a symbolic 1776 feet to commemorate the year of America's birth. It's spire, which was draped in a U.S. flag today, will stay at a platform on top of the building until it's put into place at a later date.

"This ... is about putting the candle on the cake," said Steven Plate, director of construction at the World Trade Center. "People committed to making this happen for the loved ones they lost - but also for the region and the world."

One World Trade Center is the tallest of a handful of buildings that are currently under construction at the site of the former two World Trade Center towers. Construction of the project began August 30, 2006, nearly 5 years after the horrific events of 9/11.

"You put your heart, your sweat, your blood to the project," Barrows said. "Seeing the American flag, my eye gets teary. It's very joyful for our country. It means a lot. New York needs it. America needs it."

Once its spire is put into place, the skyscraper will be the largest building in the Western hemisphere, trumping the 1451 foot Willis Tower in Chicago by over 300 feet. Without its spire, the One Wold Trade Center structure would stand at 104 stories.

"If the tip of the spire is not counted ... as the tower's architectural top, it will be the hemisphere's third tallest building ... behind Willis Tower [formerly the Sears Tower] and the 1,389-foot Trump Tower, [both] in Chicago," reports New Jersey's Star-Ledger.