Fort Ontario stood on the shores of Lake Ontario for over 260 years
and now stands as a testament to the great history of central New York
and the important role the region has played in our Nation's history. The Fort has been involved in nearly every major American war, from the
French and Indian Wars to World War II. From 1944 to 1946, Fort Ontario served as our Nation's only emergency
refugee camp, providing shelter to over 980 refugees during World War
II. In recognition of the Fort's use as a refugee shelter, primarily
for Jewish people fleeing Hitler's Europe, the site also hosts the Safe
Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum. It is a truly unique fort in
our country. Following World War II, the fort was transferred to the State of New
York to house war veterans and their families until 1953.
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