Lockhouse 21, locally known as “Swains” after the family who lived there for over a century, is the newest lockhouse to join the Canal Quarters program. Opened in July 2019, this lockhouse has been completely modernized and is ADA-accessible with a bathroom and Murphy bed on the first floor, ramps into the house, and hallways wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
The house interprets 1916, the year the National Park Service was formed and the date when the C&O Canal was beginning to transition from a working canal to a recreational space. Unique period furnishings transport visitors to the early twentieth century, and scrapbooks tell stories of a time when Woodrow Wilson was President, the United States had not yet entered World War I, and the women’s and civil rights movements were gathering steam.
Lockhouse 21 features accessible parking, accessible ramps to the front door and within the first floor of the building (upon request during booking), accessible bathroom, kitchen, and picnic area facilities, and single-sized Murphy bed located on the first floor. The second floor is only accessible via stairs. The lockhouse sits beside a parking lot and is not as secluded as the other lockhouses, but is the most recently rehabilitated.
>> Learn more about the rehabilitation of Swains Lockhouse here
>> View photos of the rehabilitation here
>> WTOP’s feature on Swains Lockhouse
All proceeds are used to fund the maintenance and stewardship of these historic structures, along with educational programming and outreach. Thank you for your support!
