The Lockport Air Force Base, situated on Unicorn Drive in Cambria, NY, served as a pivotal hub for our national defense in Niagara County for over 25 years throughout the Cold War era.

 

Initially established as the Lockport Air Force Station, it was one of 23 radar stations built under the Air Defense Command at Fort Niagara in 1950. The 763rd squadron relocated to its permanent location at Shawnee in September 1951, which was later renamed Lockport Air Force Station in 1953. Tasked with guiding missiles towards intruders detected on radar scopes, the squadron played a crucial role in safeguarding the region.

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Operations persisted until 1979, when the 763rd squadron was deactivated as part of the Aerospace Defense Command's gradual phaseout. Subsequently, the Air Force shuttered the Lockport Air Force Station, transferring control to the Federal Aviation Administration. The Shawnee site, situated near the intersection of Old Shawnee Road and Saunders Settlement Road, served as a joint Army and Air Force facility from 1950 to 1979.

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Old barracks and single housing units have been repurposed into senior housing, overseen by the Cambria Housing Authority, which manages Unicorn Apartments, Fairview Village, and residences on Northway and Southway Drives.

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In 2012, the site was remediated, now ready to be developed.