7. Fort Greene Park
Fort Greene Park is one of the city’s oldest parks, dating back to the Revolutionary War. The park includes parts of the high ground where the Continental Army constructed fortifications before the Battle of Long Island. General Nathanael Greene supervised the construction of the park, which contained Fort Putnam, named after Washington’s Chief of Engineers.
Fort Greene Park today contains the Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument, in honor of the 11,500 prisoners who died from disease and malnutrition aboard prison ships in nearby Wallabout Bay. These men and women were captured following the Continental Army’s retreat at the Battle of Long Island. Many of the dead were thrown overboard, and many remains were more properly buried during the construction of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.