Camp Security

The last of the Revolutionary-era POW camps

The largest extensions of Camp Security were constructed in York, PA in 1781 to house a portion of the 7,000+ prisoners of war in the dramatic aftermath of the Battle of Yorktown and Lord Charles Cornwallis' surrender. Considered a higher "flight risk" by the Americans, Cornwallis' noncommissioned officers and privates were confined to a stockade on the 280-acre farm that was confiscated for the camp. Guarded by the York County militia, except for a brief period by Continentals under Brig. Gen. Moses Hazen, Camp Security was in operation up until 1783, when the Revolutionary War concluded with the Treaty of Paris.

Today, Camp Security is one of the only Revolution-era prisoner of war sites that has not been extensively developed. A nearby park is open to the public and archaeological excavations are still ongoing at the property to properly understand the role of POW camp and its role in the end of the American Revolution.