Fort Greene Park’s Forgotten Memorial on Memorial Day

By Y.M. Lowy

Just between Boro Park and Williamsburg, Fort Greene Park holds a piece of American history that few people know about. At the top of the park stands a tall stone column that looks like just a decoration from far away. But it marks the resting place of over 11,000 forgotten people.

During the Revolutionary War, when the British controlled New York City from 1776 to 1783, they held American prisoners on ships in the harbor near what is now the Brooklyn Navy Yard. These were not normal jails. The ships had no sails, the windows were sealed, and there was barely any food or water. The prisoners suffered terribly. One by one, they died on those ships, and their bodies were tossed into the water.

After the war, bones began to wash ashore. Locals gathered them and buried them in what became Fort Greene Park. Then in 1908, a 149-foot stone column was built above it, topped with a large bronze urn. President-elect William Howard Taft spoke at the dedication ceremony.

Today, the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument still stands. It is not a well-known tourist stop, but on Memorial Day it feels meaningful to remember its history. 

photo: Shutterstock, NYC Parks