On June 25, 2019, the New York State Supreme Court installed a newly refurbished, 700-pound marble monument honoring the legacy of Rebecca Salome Foster (1848-1902) at 60 Centre Street. Ms. Foster was a volunteer in the court’s criminal justice system who devoted much of her adult life to serving imprisoned New Yorkers. The monument, which depicts an angel comforting a vulnerable figure, serves a symbol of Ms. Foster’s compassion and dedication to improving the lives of disenfranchised New Yorkers, often new transplants to the City who often found themselves stuck in prisons and court proceedings without access to bail money, attorney representation, information about the allegations against them or resources upon release. The Porzelt Foundation (a Carter Ledyard client), the Municipal Art Society and the New York Public Design Commission assisted with the restoration. Chris Rizzo, partner at the firm and former trustee of the Foundation, delivered remarks on the importance of this project for both the court system as well as the foundation, which made this final grant prior to its dissolution in 2018.
Rebecca Salome Foster, known as the “Tombs Angel,” spent countless hours with the impoverished inmates of “the Tombs,” a city jail in downtown Manhattan once known for its hapless, desolate living conditions. She acted on the inmates’ behalf by pleading their cases to judges and prosecutors, often informally, and assisting with housing and job placement upon release.
For more, click here.