This article was written by Adrian Untermyer, a Society Trustee and an urbanist who advocates for historic preservation and improved transportation in Greater New York and nationwide. Mr. Untermyer is former Deputy Director of the Historic Districts Council and began his career as a Legal Advocate at the Urban Justice Center. For further information and to keep in touch, visit him online at www.adrianuntermyer.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
This post was originally published as Friend of McAneny Honored at New York Courthouse by the Friends of George McAneny.
The magnificent New York County Courthouse is a “distinctive, six-sided judicial monolith” in the heart of Lower Manhattan, and owes its existence, in part, to George F. McAneny.
While the Courthouse’s McAneny connections are now better known following an exhibition there remembering the noted civic leader one man has long served as a key link between the memory of George McAneny and the structure he helped create.
That man is John F. Werner, lifetime member of the Society and the former Chief Clerk of the Civil Branch of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County. Chief Werner contributed decades of distinguished service to the Court, and also served as an accidental preservationist there in the classic McAneny mold. And by working behind the scenes to help organize podcasts and special events, Werner continues to breathe life into the facility even in retirement.
It was only fitting that an event Werner helped organize served as a surprise tribute to the McAneny-inspired leader. The proceedings – billed as the inaugural Norman Goodman Lecture, so named for Werner’s longtime mentor and boss – began innocently enough. With John Werner seated in the first row together with his family, Dr. Jon Ritter kicked off a series of presentations featuring professors Greta Berman and Helen A. Harrison on the Courthouse’s stunning Works Progress Administration murals and comparisons to their contemporaries.
But as the presentation drew to a close, select attendees knew something special was in store. With well-wishers such as Werner’s longtime colleague and former Chief Judge of the State of New York Jonathan Lippman in attendance, the focus shifted to McAneny’s acolyte seated in the front row. To the words of a proclamation by Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Deborah A. Kaplan, colleagues unveiled a handsome new gold-and-black plaque affixed to the Rotunda’s smooth walls. Dedicated to John F. Werner, Esq. for “30 years of outstanding service,” the plaque also celebrated his “dedication and passion to preserve the Courthouse and to share its rich history.”
The impromptu celebration connoted famous remembrances from film and television, with Werner’s friends, family, and colleagues gathered all assembled for the surprise. An element of theatricality made sense, as Werner’s beloved Courthouse has long served as a host for film and television productions.
So with all of the attendees standing by, and George F. McAneny’s spirit alive in the room, John F. Werner received the recognition he so deeply deserved. “It was a splendid occasion,” wrote John’s son, John Jr., and it would have been difficult to disagree.