A nine-foot bronze figure kneels here. It’s The Kneeling Fireman. He rests on a granite base. One hand touches his helmet. The other is on his forehead. He embodies anguish, distress, and perhaps prayer. The Kneeling Fireman isn’t a masterpiece of art. But it’s deeply moving. It’s a surprising sight on this unglamorous Midtown street. This isn’t the typical spot for a memorial. This particular Kneeling Fireman statue has a unique story. It involves coincidence and perhaps fate. The story begins in Missouri in 2000. The Fire Fighters Association of Missouri commissioned it. They wanted to honor those who died in the line of duty. Matthews Bronze designed the statue in Pittsburgh. It was cast in Parma, Italy. Then it was shipped to Kennedy Airport on September 9, 2001. It was meant for Missouri. The Kneeling Fireman was in customs at JFK on September 11. That day changed everything. Air travel stopped. Hundreds of firefighters were lost at the World Trade Center. Matthews Bronze decided The Kneeling Fireman should stay in New York City. They would create another one for Missouri. It seemed like fate that the statue arrived just two days before the attacks. A Matthews executive drove it from JFK to Midtown. It was temporarily placed near the Milford Plaza Hotel. This hotel housed and aided rescue workers. The Kneeling Fireman later went into storage. It found its permanent home here on East 43rd Street in 2011. It stands outside the Emigrant Bank. The Kneeling Fireman isn’t the only firefighter memorial in New York City. But it has a special significance. It was here as 9/11 unfolded. It’s the first commemorative statue honoring the 343 FDNY members lost that day.
Gould Family Mausoleum
Ever heard of a “Robber Baron?” Here at Woodlawn Cemetery stands the Gould Family Mausoleum. It is a testament to