Prison Ship Martyrs Monument Might Get National Recognition

The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument inside Fort Greene Park is a neighborhood landmark and now it might also become a federal one.

That is because the 106-year-old, 149-foot-tall structure has been included as a candidate to become a monument under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. It is now being considered as part of a year-long study for eligibility by the Secretary of the Interior.

It was added to the study’s list with advocacy from U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Brooklyn Congressmember Hakeem Jeffries.

Jeffries noted that “the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument pays homage to brave American Revolutionary War heroes and patriots who lost their lives fighting for our nation’s independence” and we’re one step closer to “according it the dignity and respect it deserves.”

Gillibrand and Schumer described the move as “long overdue,” a potential boost to the local history tourism economy, and key to keeping the Monument in the history books.

The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument honors over 11,500 Revolutionary War soldiers who died while being held as prisoners of war by Great Britain, on 16 “prison ships” anchored in Wallabout Bay, off the Brooklyn Navy Yard.