"Tree” Branches of Government: Saving the Elizabeth Street Garden — Podcast #32
In this special edition of Wrecking Ball, creator and host Adrian Untermyer, Esq. welcomes New York City Councilman Christopher Marte for the program's first-ever interview with an elected official. Marte, who represents Lower Manhattan's District 1, joins the podcast to analyze how advocates must navigate the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government to protect their landmarks — all through the lens of Marte’s successful battle to save his district’s signature patch of green space, the Elizabeth Street Garden. Covering everything from Marte’s roots as a community gardener himself to the nuts and bolts of how Marte helps his constituents save public spaces, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to help save leafy, historic places in their neighborhoods.
Program Note: This episode was recorded in 2025 under the Adams administration. While subsequent developments have shifted New York City Politics, the framework discussed regarding cross-branch government advocacy remains relevant to current and future battles.
21 Apr 2026
Abolitionism & Advocacy In New York — Podcast #31
The Historical Society of the New York Courts is pleased to introduce its new Rule of Law podcast series. This season, the series seeks to highlight a variety of important, influential, and inspiring individuals in New York legal history, including lawyers, jurists, advocates, and leaders in the legal profession.
This inaugural episode of the series is entitled “Abolitionism & Advocacy in New York.” The episode features Hon. Albert M. Rosenblatt (ret.) and Professor Sarah L. H. Gronningsater in conversation, with Professor Paula C. Johnson as moderator. Drawing on their own research and scholarship, Judge Rosenblatt and Prof. Gronningsater discuss how various actors worked together in 19th century New York to fight for freedom and the abolition of slavery, and how their efforts led to changes in New York law and to successful legal challenges in New York courts.
Check out the links to learn more about the podcast episode's participants and their work:
Professor Paula C. Johnson, Professor of Law and Director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative at Syracuse University College of Law https://law.syracuse.edu/deans-faculty/faculty/paula-c-johnson/
Professor Sarah L. H. Gronningsater https://live-sas-www-history.pantheon.sas.upenn.edu/people/faculty/sarah-l-h-gronningsater and her book, The Rising Generation: Gradual Abolition, Black Legal Culture, and the Making of National Freedom https://www.pennpress.org/9781512826326/the-rising-generation/
Hon. Albert M. Rosenblatt (ret.) https://history.nycourts.gov/biography/albert-martin-rosenblatt/ and his book, The Eight: The Lemmon Slave Case and the Fight for Freedom https://sunypress.edu/Books/T/The-Eight.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect any opinions or policies of the Historical Society of the New York Courts.
4 Mar 2026
Bard's Acts: Pondering New York's "Grandfather of Landmarks" — Podcast #30
At his death, the 96 year-old Albert Sprague Bard had occupied the landmarked Broad Exchange Building for six decades after becoming the structure's very first tenant. Within those hallowed walls, Bard hatched statewide legislation known as the "Bard Act" which gave New York's communities the legal right to regulate aesthetics — and crucially, protect historic buildings and neighborhoods through New York City's Landmarks Law.
In this special episode of Wrecking Ball, author and historian Anthony C. Wood rejoins host Adrian Untermyer to discuss the ever-persistent and oft-eccentric Bard as portrayed in Wood's new biography, Servant of Beauty: Landmarks, Secret Love, and the Unimagined Life of an Unsung New York Hero. Complete with joyful asides about everything from Robert Moses to Cold War spycraft to obscure railroad corporate lore, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who ever wondered how New Yorkers built a modern city that also managed to include its past.
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