Description: Sampson Naval Training Base: On 13 May 1942 construction was announced for a second military installation in Seneca County, on the east shore of Seneca Lake, close to the Army Ordnance Depot (1941 - later Seneca Army Depot). The Station finally covered 2535 acres and was completed in 270 days at a cost of approximately $56 million. The Station occupied about four and one-half miles of lakefront. About 4-5,000 Navy personnel operated and maintained the Station. A total of 411,429 Naval Recruits were trained there during the three and one-half years of operation. Each station unit, to train 5000 recruits, was developed around a parade ground and drill field of 14 acres, adjoined by a drill hall with a two acre indoor drill area, gymnasium, swimming pool, movable stage and motion picture equipment. Living and administrative areas included a mess hall to serve meals cafeteria style, twenty-two barracks to house 228 men each, two barracks for Chief Petty Officers, two dispensaries, a ship service building for recreation, an administrative building, rifle range, small arms magazine and a large storehouse. Sampson had five such Units (six had been planned). Units were named Dewey, Callighan, Farragut, Gilmore, and Edwards. A central group of buildings provided recreational needs for the Station as a whole and included; a large 2,700 seat auditorium, a reception/visitors building, a 400 seat chapel, a CPO Recreation building, a central administration building, receiving building, post office, brig, disciplinary barracks, and guard barracks. There was also a special group of buildings for trainees awaiting assignment after completion of training. On 15 September 1945 Sampson was opened as a separation center, by the beginning of October, three of the five recruit-training sections were closed, and its training career ended 1 November. The Separation Center planned to discharge 100 men daily but was averaging 300 to 400 daily. By the end of October 13,000 had been processed. The 65,00th discharge was on 25 March 1946. The last discharge was early April 46 and the Center was closed.