This site, at the intersection of Prospect Park West and Prospect Park Southwest, was named by the Board of Aldermen on April 10, 1923 after two young Brooklyn natives, Emil Bartel (1895-1918) and William Pritchard. Bartel and Pritchard both died in combat in France during World War I (1914-1918). Bartel resided nearby at 251 Windsor Place and Pritchard lived at 128 Linden Street in Bushwick. The men were close personal friends, both enlisting in Brooklyn’s 13th Regiment of the National Guard. During the War, they served in the 59th Regiment, Coast Artillery.
