Dating back to the 1840s, Fort Ontario is a state historic site. You'll find guardhouses, a powder magazine, barracks and other buildings at the star-shaped fort.
A lot happened there in the 1800s, but its story didn't stop then, as it served as the only refugee camp in the United States for mostly Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
"Safe Haven Refugee and Shelter Museum is unique among Holocaust in that its exhibits tell the story of saving lives, reminding us of what could have been," said Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum board member Alan Goldberg.
The museum is dedicated to sharing the stories of the 982 refugees who were housed there.
What You Need To Know
- Fort Ontario is known to have the only emergency refugee camp in our country for those fleeing the Holocaust
- Local, state and federal leaders are hoping to protect and preserve the site
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling on President Joe Biden to designate the fort as a national monument
Local, state and federal leaders are working to help preserve and protect its history by designating the fort as a national monument.
"What we asked for together was a study by the National Parks to assess that this can become a national monument. That study is taking too long. So there's another way to become a national monument, and that's through executive action," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Gillibrand is calling on the president to make the designation.
The hope is to be able to stand with Holocaust survivors if and when the fort is designated as a national monument.
Refugees were housed at the site from 1944-1946.