Fort Greene Park
(718) 965-8900
Washington Park St to St Edward St
(at Between DeKalb Avenue and Myrtle Avenue)
Brooklyn,
NY
11205
40.692
-73.9762
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
Last updated 9.23.08
What People Are Saying About Fort Greene Park
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
Overview
Fort Greene Park is the heart of its predominantly African-American neighborhood. The 30-acre expanse was created in 1850 on the site of a Revolutionary War fort; Walt Whitman, then editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, was one of the leaders who fought to create it. Other advocates, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (the designers behind Central and Prospect parks), then went on to rebuild this park with elegant lawns and walks in 1867. About 40 years later in 1908, architect Stanford White designed its most prominent fixture: the Prison Ship Martyr's Monument, which commemorates Revolutionary War POWs who died imprisoned on British ships.
Features
Horse chestnut trees rim the perimeter; gingkoes surround the Martyr's Monument. Indeed the bounty of trees (including oaks, elms and lindens) is one of this park's great attractions--that and two playgrounds, some courts for tennis and basketball and the can-you-believe-it marble bathrooms.
The Details on Fort Greene Park
Know Before You Go:
Not far from Fort Greene Park is the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the premiere performing arts institution of the borough.
The Extras:
Adjacent to the park's west end is one branch of the Brooklyn Hospital Center, a teaching facility that provides comprehensive health care.
