Fort Niagara State Park

Old Fort Niagara at the mouth of the Niagara River is one of the oldest and most historically significant fortifications in North America, with roots stretching back to 1679 when French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, erected a temporary stockade at the strategic junction of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. The present stone fortifications, begun in 1726 under the direction of French military engineer Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry, represent the most substantial surviving example of French colonial military architecture in the eastern United States.

The centerpiece of the complex is the "French Castle" — the Maison à Mâchicoulis or House of Peace — a substantial stone structure built in 1726 under the guise of a trading post to avoid alarming the neighboring Iroquois. The three-story building, with its projecting corner towers, loopholed walls, and machicolation, was designed to serve as both a residence and a fortification, and it remains the oldest surviving building in the Great Lakes region.

The fort passed from French to British hands following the French and Indian War in 1759 and was held by the British throughout the American Revolution, serving as a base for Loyalist raids into the Mohawk Valley. Under the Jay Treaty of 1796, it was transferred to the United States but was recaptured by British forces during the War of 1812. The Americans regained control in 1815 and the fort remained an active military installation through both World Wars.

Today Old Fort Niagara is operated as a New York State Historic Site and is one of the most visited historic attractions in western New York. Living history programs, military re-enactments, and excellent interpretive displays bring three centuries of Great Lakes history to life on this extraordinary site.