Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn is a revolutionary public park. In addition to 2026 being the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence, it’s also the 25th anniversary of the Fort Greene Park Conservancy becoming a nonprofit that serves the Fort Greene community. At the center of the park, the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument honors the estimated 11,500 people who died during Britain’s occupation of New York City during the Revolution. This is nearly twice the number of American soldiers who died in all the battles of the war.
The park that surrounds the monument was the first small public park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, and it was the first park they completed. Although their giant masterworks—Central Park and Prospect Park—are better known, Fort Greene Park represented a revolutionary new approach. To realize their vision of introducing democratic green spaces across urban America, they needed an affordable public park option. Fort Greene was a park that adhered to their principles, but at a little over 30 acres, it was one that fit in a much smaller space. Similar parks could be implemented much more quickly for far less expense.
After New York City and Brooklyn, Olmsted and Vaux began advocating that instead of giant sweeping parks, cities consider multiple smaller parks connected by park ways. Fort Greene Park is the precursor to the forty such later parks Olmsted designed between 1867 and 1895, and the hundreds more his sons designed when he retired.
Mark Roessler’s new book offers an immersive, annotated panoramic tour of this revolutionary park. The book’s innovative design allows readers to explore the 30 acres and travel the vibrant park freely. Wander the paths, climb the stairs, and discover how the park’s design continues to promote the democratic values that unite this diverse, creative community.
Photographed over six years in all seasons
Visit the whole park through dozens of full-page panoramas
Learn how Olmsted & Vaux’s vision grew after Central Park
See the practical steps they took to create a democratic wilderness inside a city
Discover how the Fort Greene Park Conservancy supports the park today
124 pages, 111 in full color, 9.5 x 8
