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Image of Lockhouse 25 with canal lock in foreground.

Preservation Lockhouse 25

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park » Preservation Lockhouse 25 » Document List

The National Park Service, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, will undertake historic preservation to Lockhouse 25 as an addition to the Canal Quarters Pilot Program. The Canal Quarters Pilot Program was reviewed and approved under PEPC package #23767 "Preservation – Lockhouses 49, 37, 28, 22, and 6" which was completed on February 19, 2009. Lockhouse 10 was added to the program in 2010 when it was released from the leasing program and was vacated by private residents. Lockhouse 25 is currently vacant. This inclusion is made possible by a recently-awarded Heritage Montgomery Grant. Lockhouse 25 will meet the same review criteria as the currently approved lockhouses under PEPC package #23767.

Lockhouse 25 is similar in type and condition to Lockhouse 22, which had preservation work completed in 2009. The building will undergo appropriate preservation work to the interior elements of the structure, which will include selective masonry repairs to chimneys and walls, interior and exterior repairs, repairs to interior wall surfaces, repairs to floors and other wooden structural components. Lockhouse 25 will be cleaned of accumulated debris. Walls will be repainted to match historic wall colors based on paint sample color analysis. Doors, roofs, and windows will be repaired as needed. NPS lock system will be also installed in conjunction with this work. The roof will be repaired as needed.

All work will be in accordance with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties/Preservation and will be undertaken by park preservation staff members.

Under PEPC # 23767, it was approved to undertake a three year pilot program to allow visitors to stay overnight/ short term in a historic lockhouse. Each structure is to receive basic preservation and interpretive media development has been undertaken to further enhance the life on the canal experience/understanding for park visitors. Users of the lockhouses need to make registrations and are required to provide all necessary overnight belongings. Lockhouse accommodations range from very primitive to modern. The pilot program period will allow park managers to evaluate the potential for a long-term program that would incorporate additional structures. Should the pilot program be formalized to a permanent program, the program will be vetted completely through the environmental compliance process for impacts to the park and its resources.

During the three year pilot program, park officials will be closely monitoring the seven historic structures, and other related park resources, to avoid any situations that would result in damage or adverse impacts to the resources. Should any situation arise that would compromise a resource, the program will be suspended until the situation can be resolved.

It is the intention of the work to enhance the visitor understanding of the canal, its operation, its employees/families, and its connection with the local communities along its length. In order to help with this enhancement, interpretive media, such as podcast narratives, display boards, copies of historic photographs, and other media support have been/will be developed for each of the lockhouses in the pilot program. These historical and interpretive items will trace the people and events of the specific lockhouse so the visitor can learn what life on the canal might have been like.

The park's Interdisciplinary Team reviewed the project for impacts to natural and cultural resources. The project does not pose any serious or long-term effects to the environmental, historical, cultural, archeological, or visual resources. A memo to the file has been issued, based on previous project compliance.

The project also meets the National Historic Preservation Act/Section 106 Programmatic Agreement, Streamlined Review Criteria #1 – Preservation Maintenance and Repair of Historic Properties.




Contact Information

For further information regarding this project, please contract the Cultural Resource Program Manager, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP, 1850 Dual Highway,Suite 100, Hagerstown, MD 21740.