Fort Greene in Brooklyn in Kings County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Prison Ship Martyrs Monument
Fort Greene Park
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 16, 2024
Who is this monument dedicated to?
This impressive monument, consisting of a 100-foot-wide granite staircase and a central Doric column 149 feet in height, was designed by renowned architect Stanford White (1853-1906) and marks the site of a crypt for some of the remains of the estimated 11,500 men and women, known as the prison ship martyrs.
In 1776 American Major General Nathanael Greene supervised the construction of Fort Putnam on high ground that is now part of this park. During the Battle of Long Island, the Continental Army surrendered the fort and retreated to Manhattan. The British held thousands of captives on prison ships anchored in Wallabout Bay. Over 11,500 men and women died of overcrowding, contaminated water, starvation, and disease aboard the ships, and their bodies were hastily buried along the shore. These brave patriots represented all 13 colonies and at least 13 different nationalities. In 1808 the remains of the prison ship martyrs were buried in a tomb on Jackson Street (now Hudson Avenue), near the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
How was this monument created?
The Brooklyn fort was renamed for Major General Greene and rebuilt for the War of 1812. When the threat of war passed, locals enjoyed visiting the grounds of the old fort for recreation and relaxation. The City of Brooklyn designated the site for use as a public park in 1845, and newspaper editor Walt Whitman rallied popular support for the project from the pages of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. In 1847 the legislature approved an act to secure land for Washington Park on the site of the old fort. The improvements were complete by 1850. In 1867 landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, designers of Central and Prospect Parks, were engaged to prepare a new design for Washington Park as well as a new crypt for the remains of the prison ship martyrs.
The remains of the prisoners were moved to the site in 1873 into the newly created 25-by-11-foot brick vault. Twenty-two boxes, containing a mere fraction of total volume of remains, were interred in the vault. Toward the end of the 19th century, a diverse group of interests including the federal government, municipal and state governments, private societies, and donors, began a campaign for a permanent monument to the prison ship martyrs. In 1905 the renowned architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White was hired to design a new entrance to the crypt and a wide granite stairway leading to a plaza on top of the hill. From its center rose a freestanding Doric column crowned by a bronze lantern. President-elect William Howard Taft attended the monument's dedication in 1908.
Sculptor Adolph Alexander Weinman (1870-1952)
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 16, 2024
In 2008, 100 years after its original dedication, the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument was unveiled after a full restoration. It addressed not only the monument, but also the surrounding plaza and the martyrs' crypt located at the center of the grand staircase. This project consisted of cleaning and repairing the column and plinth, and the tablet and bronze eagles were restored. Two original eagles and two replicas have been reinstalled at the bases of four fluted shafts at the corners of the plaza (two remaining originals are on view in the Arsenal in Central Park). The lawn that surrounded the monument was paved with granite pavers that were part of White's original design but not built. New architectural lighting was also added to illuminate the plaza and monument at night, highlighting this monument's majestic splendor for another century.
Erected by NYC Parks. (Marker Number 301.)
Topics and series. This historical marker and monument is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Parks & Recreational Areas • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #27 William Howard Taft, and the NYC Parks series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1776.
Location. 40° 41.512′ N, 73° 58.5′ W. Marker is in Brooklyn, New York, in Kings County. It is in Fort Greene. Marker can be reached from Washington Park just north of Willoughby Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Washington Park, 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. Spanish Memorial Plaque (here, next to this marker); On the Occasion of the Bicentennial of the United States of America (a few steps from this marker); Delafield Cannon (within shouting distance of this marker); Ginkgo (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Greene Park (within shouting distance of this marker); What is a Redoubt Anyway? (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Prison Ship Martyrs Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Artillery Projectiles of the American Revolution (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brooklyn.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 19, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 15, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 56 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 19, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
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