Last updated: October 10, 2024
Place
C&O Canal Lock 73
Quick Facts
Amenities
2 listed
Toilet - Vault/Composting, Water - Non-Potable
Along the 184.5 miles of the canal are 74 lift locks. These locks were put into place to help boats overcome the 605-foot elevation change between Georgetown and Cumberland. The C&O Canal is like a staircase, canal boats traveled along the flat sections and used the locks to take a “step up or down” about eight feet. The locks typically had hand-operated miter gates that were simple and followed Leonardo da Vinci’s original 1485 design. Entering the lock was the most demanding part of canalling.
Lock 73 is the first of 3 in North Branch and was completed in 1840 but was rebuilt in 1869. It is made of limestone from Evitts Creek Quarry and has a 9’ lift. On the other side of the lock is a bypass flume that allowed water to bypass the lock to water the level below. There are no remnants of a lockhouse at this site.
During the Canal Days, this area was known as “The Narrows” because the canal, highway, and railroad all passed through this tight space between the Potomac River, Nicolas Ridge, and Irons Mountain.
Lock 73 is the first of 3 in North Branch and was completed in 1840 but was rebuilt in 1869. It is made of limestone from Evitts Creek Quarry and has a 9’ lift. On the other side of the lock is a bypass flume that allowed water to bypass the lock to water the level below. There are no remnants of a lockhouse at this site.
During the Canal Days, this area was known as “The Narrows” because the canal, highway, and railroad all passed through this tight space between the Potomac River, Nicolas Ridge, and Irons Mountain.