What Is the Lockkeeper’s House?
Today, this oldest structure on the National Mall is an interpretive center!
What Makes It Historical?
In the days before railroads and highways, canals were critical commerce routes in the new United States of America! In the new capital, the Washington City Canal opened up in 1815, connecting the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Then came the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal meant to connect the coast to the Ohio River Valley, but that would have ended in Georgetown, not DC!
Not to be content with letting Georgetown have all the fun, Washington city government set aside $1 million (about $31 million today) to build a canal extension linking the two canals. That work was completed in 1833, along with this lockkeeper’s house, where trade could be tracked and tolls taken! I couldn’t find any information on who the first lockkeeper was here, so maybe they were in rotation like at modern tollbooths?
The canal never turned out to be quite what George Washington envisioned! It collected tons of trash and sewage, and by 1855, railroads had made canals obsolete anyway! Once the canals were filled in, the lockkeeper’s house was moved from its original location in 1915, and again in 2017! It’s served as a Park Police office, a storage facility, and now, after some major restoration, an interpretive center!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the Trust for the National Mall!
- Donate to the Trust for the National Mall!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
Constitution Ave NW & 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
The house is open Monday through Thursday from 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM and Friday to Saturday from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM!