Canal Quarters Opens Lockhouse 25

Lockhouse 25 in Edward’s Ferry is now open to the public for overnight stays for the first time, thanks to the restoration efforts of the C&O Canal National Historic Park service and the C&O Canal Trust.

The organizations spent the last six months refurbishing the historic home to resemble what it looked like during the Civil War.

Built in 1830, Lockhouse 25 accommodated lockkeepers working on the canal until it closed in 1924. Of the 57 original lockhouses, only 26 survived and six have been restored. The C&O Canal Trust opened the Canal Quarters program in 2009, allowing visitors to stay in any of the six restored lockhouses for a maximum of three nights.

The six lockhouses are located in Maryland near Clear Spring (Lockhouse 49), Point of Rocks (28), Pennyfield (22), Cabin John (10), Brookmont (6) and Edward’s Ferry (25). Each house features authentic period furniture collected by C&O Canal Trust Board member Robert Mertz.

C&O Canal National Historical Park Superintendent Kevin Brandt said the program has two objectives: to help restore historical buildings in the park and provide a historical experience for visitors.

 “The mission of the park service is to help the public understand what the canal did for the development of the country and why that’s still important to America today,” he said. “When people experience history through the eyes and lives of the people who were actually here, it makes it more real.”