Fort Niagara carries evidence of three distinct cultures. The fort’s roots trace back to its primary founders almost a hundred years before the U.S. became its own nation.
The fort began as Fort Conti in 1679, which was then replaced by Fort Denonville about eight years later. In 1726, the French established a signature piece to Fort Niagara that remains stalwart to the structure even today as the famous “French Castle.”
The fort was then conquered by the British in 1759 and then the fort’s lighthouse in 1781, which was the first lighthouse of the Great Lakes. Yet, the fort was ultimately surrendered to the U.S. in 1796. However, both nations struggled over it, with England recapturing it in 1813, and then another surrender in 1815.
As one can see, Fort Niagara is rich in history of not only the occupying forces, but by local Native Americans as well. The Fort carried its militaristic roots all the way until 1963, when it was decommissioned. Now the fort boasts a scene of epic structures, and an air of remembrance of all the years gone by.
