Fort Ontario
National Register of Historic Places

Fort Ontario

Oswego, Oswego County, New York
Listed
December 17, 1970
Type
District
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
70000426

About this property

Fort Ontario is a historic bastion fort used by British and American forces, located in the City of Oswego in Oswego County, New York, US. Fort Ontario is located on the east side of the Oswego River on high ground overlooking Lake Ontario. The present fortifications are built on a pentagonal plan with five bastions. The fort is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned by the state of New York and operated as a museum known as Fort Ontario State Historic Site. Originally erected in 1755, it was one of several forts erected by the British to protect the area around the east end of Lake Ontario. During the American Revolutionary War, it was destroyed by American forces in 1778; the British rebuilt the fort in 1782 and held it until 1796. The fort was again destroyed by British forces in 1814, and it was rebuilt during the American Civil War following a period of disuse. In the 20th century, it served variously as a military hospital, an infantry base, an induction center, and a World War II refugee camp. Although closed by the U.S. Army after World War II, some of the buildings at Fort Ontario are still used for training by the Army Reserve.

Location

1 E 4th St.
Oswego, Oswego County, New York
43.46584, -76.50917

Categories

MILITARYSOCIAL HISTORY
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Fort Ontario

This page lists Fort Ontario. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

NASH (harbor tug)
Industrial
0.4 mi
Derrick Boat No. 8
Industrial
0.4 mi
Walton and Willett Stone Store
Industrial
0.4 mi
Washington Square Historic District
Listed
0.6 mi
Woodruff Block
Industrial
0.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Engagement at Oswego — Lake Ontario Raid (May 1814)
1814Early Republic
0.1 mi
Oswego Fort Area Conflict 1756
1756Colonial
0.7 mi
Battle of Fort Oswego (1756)
1756Colonial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fort Ontario listed on the National Register?

Fort Ontario was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Fort Ontario?

Fort Ontario is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fort Ontario?

The period of significance for Fort Ontario is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1839.

Can I research the history near Fort Ontario?

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