After much hand wringing, the show will go.
The Parks Department last week said renovations are nearly complete and will be finished for Fort Greene Park’s Prison Ship Martyrs Monument upcoming centennial celebration on November 15.
“We’re just putting some finishing touches to the monument, but the construction work is pretty much done,” said Parks Department spokesperson Philip Abramson.
Designed in 1905 and completed in 1908, the monument is a memorial to the 11,000 men, women and children who died in horrid conditions on the British prison ships in Wallabout Bay during the Revolutionary War.
Beneath the stairs of the memorial also lies a crypt containing 15 huge granite caskets filled with the remains of some of these prisoners.
The news was also music to the ears of Ruth Goldstein, chair of the Fort Greene Park Conservancy’s Prison Ship Martyrs Monument Centennial Committee.
“We had our breaths so long we almost died, but it did happen,” said Goldstein.
“We’re praying for good weather and the main thing now is about drawing people top the centennial celebration,” she added.
Goldstein said she has spent a lot of time handing out postcards of the upcoming event, and even worked the Brooklyn Tech polling place handing out postcards when the machines temporarily went on the blink on election day.
“People were really unbelievably excited because the monument (eternal flame) has been dark for since 1921 for 77 years and the eagles are back on the four corners of the monument plaza,” she said.
Goldstein said the conservancy raised about $350,000 through a grant from the state Dormitory Authority to renovate toe monument.
The conservancy also lobbied elected officials and recently received over $1 million through Borough President Marty Markowitz’s and City Council member Letitia James’ office, said Goldstein.
Goldstein said the additional money will go towards renovation of the Willoughby Street/Washington Park entrance to the park.
As for the upcoming Nov. 15, Goldstein said special guests include Pulitzer Prize winning author and Brooklyn College Professor Dr. Edwin G. Burrows.
Burrows, who won the prize for his book, “Gotham,” recently released the book, “America’s Forgotten Patriots” about the American prisoners during the Revolutionary War.
TONY award winning actress Cady Huffman wi8ll sing the National Anthem, said Goldstein.
The monument is located in about the center of the hilly park at about its highest point, she said.
The 30-acre Fort Greene Park is bounded by Myrtle Avenue, Washington Park, St. Edwards Street and Dekalb Avenue.
Abramson said the lineup for the Saturday, Nov. 15 event will start at 11 a.m. for the unveiling of the monument and the eternal flame lighting is scheduled for 5 p.m.
