During World War II, a prisoner of war camp near this site, known as the Hereford Military Reservation and Reception Center, operated primarily for Italian soldiers. It was first used in 1943 for prisoners captured in an invasion of North Africa. Many of the approximately 7000 Italian soldiers imprisoned here became friends with local residents and American troops. Since the war, some returned for visits and others settled in the region. The camp chapel, constructed by the prisoners, is the only building remaining at the site.