Fort Greene in Brooklyn in Kings County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Fort Greene Historic District

Photographed By Brenda Sickles, August 14, 2010

1. Fort Greene Historic District Marker

Inscription. Fort Greene is a neighborhood with unusually consistent 19th century domestic architecture developed principally in the short span between 1855 and 1875. Fort Greene Park was created in 1848 at the instigation of poet Walt Whitman who was then the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper. It was redesigned in 1867 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, landscape architects of Central Park and Prospect Park. The park contains the prison ship "Martyrs" monument and the symbolic home of 11,500 men who died in the Revolutionary War on British Prison ships anchored nearby.

Erected by New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • War, US Revolutionary • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.

Location. 40° 41.364′ N, 73° 58.214′ W. Marker is in Brooklyn, New York, in Kings County. It is in Fort Greene. Marker is at the intersection of Clermont Avenue and DeKalb Avenue on Clermont Avenue. Signs are found throughout the neighborhood. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Brooklyn NY 11205, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Parkham Playground (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Parham Playground (about

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400 feet away); Edmonds Playground (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Fort Greene Historic District (about 800 feet away); Marianne Moore (approx. 0.2 miles away); Clinton Hill Historic District (approx. 0.2 miles away); Eastern White Pine (approx. 0.2 miles away); European Beech (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brooklyn.

Also see . . .
1. Fort Greene Park History. NYC Parks presents the history of Fort Greene Park. (Submitted on September 2, 2015.)

2. Fort Greene Historic District - National Archives. National Register of Historic Places documentation (Submitted on March 3, 2024, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)

Additional commentary.
1. Marianne Moore
At first dominated by farms, Fort Greene has been home to many famous people. In the 1840's family farmland was sold off to give rise to residential parcels. Fort Greene was home to numerous musicals, artists and authors, among them poet Marinne Moore. Born in 1887, Moore lived for 36 years

Photographed By Larry Gertner, May 6, 2018

2. Fort Greene Historic District Marker

The reverse side shows the limits of the Historic District.

in an apartment between Lafayette and DeKalb avenues. Moore was known also as a socialite and sports institution in the Brooklyn social circles. Brooklyn lost Marianne Moore on January 20th, 1966.

— Submitted August 31, 2010, by Brenda Sickles of Queens, New York.

Additional keywords. 19th Century Architecture

<i>Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, N.Y.</i> image. Click for full size.

Postcard by the Detroit Publishing Company, 1904

3. Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Fort Greene's history is rife with important names--Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Greene, Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux, William Howard Taft, and McKim, Mead and White, to name a few--hinting at the important role the park has played in the city's history. Originally the site of forts built for the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, the community surrounding the land started using it as public space shortly after the threat of the War of 1812 passed. By 1847, it was designated a park (Brooklyn's first), and twenty years later, famed landscape architects Olmsted and Vaux began designing its new layout. In 1897, the park, formerly known as Washington Park, received its name. - NYC Parks

Credits. This page was last revised on March 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 31, 2010, by Brenda Sickles of Queens, New York. This page has been viewed 961 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 31, 2010, by Brenda Sickles of Queens, New York. 2. submitted on November 9, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on September 2, 2015. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide view photo of the marker showing its location in context. • Can you help?