Four Locks
Encyclopedia
Four Locks is a former small community which is now part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia. The park was established as a National Monument in 1961 by President Dwight D...
. It was once a thriving community of homes and businesses in Washington County, Maryland
Washington County, Maryland
Washington County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering southern Pennsylvania to the north, northern Virginia to the south, and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to the south and west. As of the 2010 Census, its population is 147,430...
that supported the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
from the mid-19th century, until its closure in the 1920s. In its heyday, the small community consisted of two stores, two warehouses, a dry dock for boat repair, a school, and post office, plus about a dozen houses.
Early History
Located on the small peninsula known as Prather's Neck, Four Locks was named for the series of four canal locks – 47 through 50 – of the Chesapeake and Ohio CanalChesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
, built at the site between 1836 and 1838, to avoid a four-mile loop in the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and to handle a 33-foot difference in elevation. In time, a close-knit community supporting the canal thrived at the site, and continued for the life of canal operations. Because of its location about mid-way way between Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, canal boats frequently stopped here for repairs and supplies. Several families, including the Taylors, Flynns, Myers, and Hassetts had homes here for several generations during the canal era.
The Civil War
Though discussion of secession seemed to threaten Maryland's place in the Union, nearby Clear SpringClear Spring, Maryland
Clear Spring is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 461 as of the 2008 United States Census Bureau estimates.-Geography:Clear Spring is located at ....
, along with Four Locks, witnessed a number of pro-Union meetings, beginning as early as January 1861. Some 200 citizens assembled in Four Locks on January 31, 1861, and raised a 113 foot "Union Pole", topped with a streamer bearing the phrase "The Union Forever." Several prominent locals, including Lewis P. Firey
Lewis P. Firey
Lewis P. Firey Southern Unionist who served in the Maryland State Convention, and, during the American Civil War, the Maryland State Senate; originator of the project for the Antietam National Cemetery.- Early life :...
, spoke to the assembly, which frequently throughout the speeches, erupted in "the wildest outbursts of applause". Late that same summer, several residents began enlisting in the units that formed in nearby Clear Spring.
Later during the war, on July 27, 1864, Four Locks was in the path of Confederate cavalry en route to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
. A warehouse, and two stores were burned here, by the Confederates, on that day. While here, word was received that Pennsylvania militia was moving to intercept the Confederate force. Confederate forces then moved from this point to gain the upper hand, and forced the militia back into Pennsylvania with relative ease.
Four Locks Today
After the canal closed in 1924, the community declined and all but disappeared. As part of the C&O Canal National Historical ParkChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia. The park was established as a National Monument in 1961 by President Dwight D...
, a few historic buildings and interpretive signs give visitors a glimpses into the canal's heyday. The lockhouse at Four Locks (Lock 49) has been rehabilitated and is available for overnight visits through the "Canal Quarters" program operated by the C&O Canal Trust. The building is furnished in the style of the early 1920s, with baseboard heating and a small stove. It has two levels, two bedrooms, and sleeps eight.