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Picture from 2011 post. You can
see the missing wall on the side
of the aqueduct. Click on the
picture to see a larger version. |
We revisit the C & O Canal National Historical Park in Williamsport, Maryland.
After a ten-year stint on the west coast we’ve returned to the
mid-Atlantic and the first thing we did was visit some of our old haunts and
favorite historical sites. One of the first places we went to was the C & O
Canal National Historical Park site in Williamsport, Maryland. I did a post on the canal towpath and the park back in 2011, as well as a post about the Paw Paw Tunnel, located up the canal about thirty miles. Give that first post a read
to find out the history of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and what it is today.
Here is a pretty good video that will also give you a rundown on the history of the canal.
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An aqueduct is a bridge
for water. |
Okay, if you didn’t go to those sources above, let’s review.
Before roads and railroads, passengers and freight were moved by water. To
conquer unnavigable rivers, canals were built that included aqueducts and locks
to cross rough terrain and move boats through rises in elevation. These canal
projects were a product of the industrial revolution and Europe got a big head
start on the United States. Our most famous,
the Erie Canal in New York state, opened in 1825
(you have the song stuck in your head now, don’t you?). The C & O Canal got
a late start, not opening until 1850, navigating the Potomac River from
Georgetown in Washington D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. It continued to operate until
the 1920s, so through the efforts of some dedicated individuals, we have a well-preserved
example of these kinds of narrow boat canals AND a 184-mile recreational trail
for biking and hiking.
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Now there is water in the
aqueduct at Williamsport. |
So what changed since I was in Williamsport a decade ago? First
off, there is a new park headquarters building just up the hill from the
visitors center and the turning pond. This makes sense to me, as Williamsport
is just about midway between Cumberland and Georgetown. They have also restored
the aqueduct over Conococheague Creek where it flows into the Potomac. That
needs a little more explanation.
An aqueduct is built to carry water. In the case of the C
& O, the aqueducts were built to carry boats over existing rivers. When I
visited ten years ago, the aqueduct in Williamsport was missing a wall and
visitors used it like a bridge to cross Conococheague Creek. The old canal had
been filled in so you could walk from the visitors center around the turning
pond and immediately be on the towpath. Now the aqueduct has been restored. The
canal was dug out so that it connects to the turning pond, fills the aqueduct,
and runs maybe forty yards beyond the north end of the aqueduct. This is a
great improvement. My wife shared with me that before the improvement, she
couldn’t visualize what the aqueduct did, since it looked like, and was used
as, a bridge. Now that it has been repaired and has water in it, its function
is clear.
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That small portion of the
canal connects to the
turning pond. |
One more plug: I also think it’s a good place to put the park
headquarters as Williamsport is (again in my humble opinion) the best place to
visit the C & O if you only have a day to spend there. In Williamsport
there is a turning pond, which you only find at the two ends of the path. There
is a restored aqueduct with water. There is the elevated railroad bridge to
see. Less than half a mile walk down the towpath is Lockhouse 44 with an excellent
example of a canal lock. (If you need to know how one of these locks works,
here’s
a video I found that shows how one works, it’s from a canal in Great
Britain, but I chose it to share with you because it looks very similar to the
C & O.) And for a bonus, there is some Civil War history as well.
Confederate forces crossed the Potomac here and in other locations along the
canal during both campaigns in the north. Williamsport is an hour and a half
drive from Washington D.C., less than an hour from Gettysburg, and only fifteen
minutes from Antietam Battlefield. If you’re planning a trip in the area,
consider adding this piece of history to your itinerary.
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Less than a half mile walk down
the towpath is Lock #44. |
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A walkway on the elevated
railroad bridge allows access to
the towpath. |
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There is a new park headquarters
up the hill, but the Visitors Center
is still in the barn by the pond. |
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The towpath trail is pet
friendly. Elvis the Corgi
approves. Please stay
leashed and pick up. ;-) |
