1. The Design of Fort Greene Park Has Changed Vastly

Photo from Library of Congress

Olmstead and Vaux were known for their naturalistic landscape strategies, as evidenced in their designs for Central Park and Prospect Park. McKim, Mead & White, the architects of the original Pennsylvania Station, were hired after more remains were found in 1899 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The architects put forth a more monumental and Neoclassical design which they hoped “better expressed the character of the nation.”

The firm McKim, Mead & White is responsible for the monumental staircase, the terraces, and the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, which were unveiled in 1908. Yet, as the Landmarks Preservation Commission notes, the layout of the staircase “conforms to the original layout determined by Olmsted and Vaux.” In addition, the variety of plantings at Fort Greene Park “prove the value of the landscape architects’ original selection.”

With its rich history, Fort Greene Park still serves nearly 200,000 Brooklyn residents. You may visit the park all year round, but it closes every night at midnight.

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