Enlarged Double Lock No. 23, Old Erie Canal
Encyclopedia
Enlarged Double Lock No. 23, Old Erie Canal is a historic Erie canal
lock
located at Rotterdam
in Schenectady County, New York
. It was built in 1841-1842 as part of the First Enlargement. It is built entirely of large cut limestone
blocks, laid regular ashlar
, and mortared with hydraulic cement
. The Northeast lock chamber is 110 feet (33.5 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide; the Southwest lock chamber is 220 feet (67.1 m) long and 18 to 20 feet (6.1 m) wide; and the Center pier is 100 feet (30.5 m) long and 26 feet (7.9 m) wide. The Southwest lock chamber was expanded in 1889-1890. Lock 23 fell into disuse after the opening of the New York State Barge Canal in 1918. The lock chambers contain no water and the area is open as a local park. The site was reclaimed and stabilized by local volunteers starting in 1999. A replica of a board and batten
locktender's hut was constructed between 2000 and 2003 by students from the Union College
Department of Civil Engineering.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2008.
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
located at Rotterdam
Rotterdam (town), New York
Rotterdam is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 28,316 at the 2000 census.The town of Rotterdam is in the south-central part of the county. It was founded by Dutch settlers, who named it after the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where many emigrants last...
in Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
. It was built in 1841-1842 as part of the First Enlargement. It is built entirely of large cut limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
blocks, laid regular ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
, and mortared with hydraulic cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
. The Northeast lock chamber is 110 feet (33.5 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide; the Southwest lock chamber is 220 feet (67.1 m) long and 18 to 20 feet (6.1 m) wide; and the Center pier is 100 feet (30.5 m) long and 26 feet (7.9 m) wide. The Southwest lock chamber was expanded in 1889-1890. Lock 23 fell into disuse after the opening of the New York State Barge Canal in 1918. The lock chambers contain no water and the area is open as a local park. The site was reclaimed and stabilized by local volunteers starting in 1999. A replica of a board and batten
Batten
A batten is a thin strip of solid material, typically made from wood, plastic or metal. Battens are used in building construction and various other fields as both structural and purely cosmetic elements...
locktender's hut was constructed between 2000 and 2003 by students from the Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
Department of Civil Engineering.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2008.