Erie Canal Museum
Encyclopedia
The Erie Canal Museum, in Syracuse, New York
is a museum about the Erie Canal
across New York
. It is located in the Weighlock Building, itself listed on the National Register of Historic Places
of the United States.
The museum was founded in 1962 and is a private, nonprofit corporation. It is housed in a weigh lock
building dating from 1850, where canal boat
s used to be weighed when travelling through Syracuse
on the canal. The museum includes a gallery of present canal life.
The Weighlock Building was listed on the National Register in 1971.
Market Building was built in an abandoned canal basin which extended south from the Weighlock Building in East Water Street. The building was originally intended as a "center for meat dealers" but failed as such. Later the building was repurposed for city offices and as a meeting place for the public. The front of the building was occupied by a small, fenced grass plot.
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
is a museum about the Erie Canal
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...
across New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is located in the Weighlock Building, itself listed on 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...
of the United States.
The museum was founded in 1962 and is a private, nonprofit corporation. It is housed in a weigh lock
Weigh lock
A weigh lock is a specialized canal lock designed to determine the weight of barges in order to assess toll payments based upon the weight and value of the cargo carried. This requires that the unladen weight of the barge be known....
building dating from 1850, where canal boat
Canal boat
There are three articles associated with canal watercraft:* The Volunteer - A replica 1848 canal boat docked on the Illinois and Michigan Canal at LaSalle, Illinois* Narrowboat - a specialized craft for operation in early narrow canals...
s used to be weighed when travelling through Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
on the canal. The museum includes a gallery of present canal life.
The Weighlock Building was listed on the National Register in 1971.
History
The Weighlock Building was constructed in 1850 and was known by 1940 as the State Department of Public Works. Since 1962, the building has been occupied by the Erie Canal Museum.Market Building was built in an abandoned canal basin which extended south from the Weighlock Building in East Water Street. The building was originally intended as a "center for meat dealers" but failed as such. Later the building was repurposed for city offices and as a meeting place for the public. The front of the building was occupied by a small, fenced grass plot.