On October 22, 1949, ground was broken for the Onondaga County War Memorial, a sports and entertainment building as a memorial to war veterans. A little more than a year later, on Thanksgiving Day 1950, the cornerstone of the was laid in place by Hurlbut Smith (President of L.C. Smith & Corona Typewriters, Inc.) and County Veterans Council Commander, Edward J. Nowakowski. The following year, on September 12, 1951, the official opening, a week’s long celebration began, including a parade and formal dedications with the Gold Star Mothers. Over 60,000 military personnel who have resided, or currently reside, in Onondaga County have been added to the Veteran’s Honor Wall in recognition of their service. In 2017, a multi-million dollar renovation was announced, which included updates and additions to the Veteran’s Exhibit and Honor Roll by the Onondaga Historical Association.