The Lockkeeper's House

It was built in 1835 to shelter the very important lockkeeper whose job was to maintain the canal locks and manage canal traffic as well as collect toll fees. Although living near a canal might sound pretty nice, it was probably pretty unpleasant. The canal was very dirty and smelly with garbage and raw sewage. Yuck! As you can imagine the canals were beset with problems with sanitation being one of them, but maintenance being the major issue. In the 1870s, the canal was filled in. Today, the house is the only remaining part of the C&O Canal Extension. The house is easily seen from the street and sidewalk but it is not open to the public.