The majestic, Stanford White-designed Prison Ship Martyrs Monument which stands in the heart of the park is one of the most important and sacred memorials in our country. The monument honors over 11,500 Prisoners of War who perished for the cause of freedom aboard British prison ships during the American Revolutionary War of Independence. Remains of the Prison Ship Martyrs are interred in a crypt beneath the Monument. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1908 dedication of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument a grand Centennial Celebration will take place THIS WEEKEND in Fort Greene Park.

5:30-7:30 PM - Kick-Off Reception at MoCADA. Prize-winning art works inspired by the experiences of the British Prison Ship Martyrs during the American Revolution, created by neighborhood high school students; free, refreshments. MoCADA (The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts) is located at 80 Hanson Place in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

10:00 AM - Sign up sheets will be made available for advance reservations for the limited space events. Location: the Visitor's Center.

11:00 AM - NYC Department of Parks and Recreation unveiling of the Monument eagles.

Noon – 3:45 PM - Visitors Center: Family Roots Project: Explore your family’s roots, free genealogical workshops and assistance with individual searches conducted by professionals from the African Atlantic Genealogical Society; entertainment stage: Jazz by Jeff Newell’s New Trad and Wade Barnes’ Brooklyn Four plus One, Brooklyn High School of the Arts band, performers from Irondale Theater; * Guided bus tours of the Brooklyn Navy Yard; Revolutionary war re-enactors; activities for families – meet Mr. Walt Whitman; Ranger-led tours of the park; *a horse and buggy will be available for family fun and to provide transport for people in need of help to reach the Monument Plaza.
*Limited space events

3:15 PM - Fife and drum led procession and parade of flags from South Oxford Park to Fort Greene Park Monument Plaza for the beginning of the formal tribute.

3:30 – 3:45 PM - Monument stairs: Flag-posting ceremony

4:15 PM - Formal commemoration: U.S. National Anthem sung by Tony Award winner Cady Huffman; keynote address by Dr. Edwin G. Burrows, the 1999 Pulitzer Prize winner and author of recently released “Forgotten Patriots: The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War;” 21- gun salute; wreath-laying; color guards; solemn military pageantry and much much more!

5:00 PM - Re-lighting the Eternal Flame of the Prison Ship Martyrs for the first time since 1921, and the long-overdue return of the park's bronze eagles after four-decades.

5:30 – 7:30 PM - Reception and Benefit for the Fort Greene Park Conservancy at Brooklyn Technical High School. Starts immediately following the re-dedication of the Monument and the re-lighting of the eternal flame. Located in the fabulous Art Deco lobby of the high school. Food provided by the chef/owner of the restaurant Eletteria, Akhtar Nawab, former sous-chef for Tom Coliccio at Craft. Entertainment will be provided by noted cabaret singer, Victoria England. Enter lobby at the main entrance on South Elliot Place, off DeKalb Avenue (across from 21 South Elliott Pl.) Note: there is a requested $25 donation per person for this event, paid in advance. To make a donation and reservation via PayPal, follow the instructions in the box below. Click Buy Now to go to our PayPal site. For questions, call Ruth Goldstein at 718-596-0899.

7:30 PM - Free Concert at Brooklyn Technical High School Auditorium. The Fort Greene Park Conservancy and American Opera Projects are proud to present the world premiere performance of Brooklyn Bones: Requiem for the Prison Ship Martyrs, an original composition for tenor, chorus, and orchestra, on Saturday Nov. 15, 2008 at 7:30 PM at the Brooklyn Technical High School auditorium, Use entrance on South Elliott Place, near DeKalb Avenue (across from 21 South Elliott Place). Brooklyn Bones: Requiem for the Prison Ship Martyrs was written by composer Alvin Singleton, with text by Patricia Hampl. The free :40 minute performance will feature tenor soloist, Cameron Smith, backed by a 60-voice chorus with music by the 20-piece Monmouth Civic Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by Mark Shapiro.