Fort George
Fort George shortly after its reconstruction, September 11, 1940
Fort George was built between 1796 and 1799 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, following the British turning over possession of Fort Niagara to the Americans in accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Paris and Jay's Treaty. The British now needed a new military headquarters on the Niagara frontier and a decision was made to build a fort further up the river, just outside the growing town of Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake).
The fort saw much action during the War of 1812. When the Americans invaded Queenston Heights on October 13, 1812, Major-General Isaac Brock left from Fort George to reach the battle site. He would not survive the battle and was shortly after interred in the north bastion of Fort George with his aide-de-camp, John Macdonnell. The following spring, on May 25, 1813, the fort was attacked by the Americans, destroying most of the buildings. Two days later, the Americans invaded Newark and occupied Fort George. They remained in the fort for almost seven months and rebuilt its defences, but suffered defeats at the battles of Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams. Only a small number of militia remained stationed at the fort. Fearing an attack by the British, the Americans retreated back across the Niagara River in December 1813. Before their retreat, they burned the town of Newark. The fort remained in British possession for the rest of the war.
By 1815 the war had ended and the British decided to allocate resources to the construction of Fort Mississauga and Butler's Barracks instead of Fort George. The fort continued to decay and was abandoned by the military in the mid 1820s. It remained in this condition until 1937, when reconstruction of the fort began. It was restored to resemble its condition prior to the War of 1812. The reconstructed Fort George was officially opened in 1950 and is a National Historic Site administered by Parks Canada.
Fort George shortly after its reconstruction, September 11, 1940
Fort George, the North Gate, interior view