10 Years: Canal Quarters

6 lockhouses rehabbed and furnished to provide overnight stays to guests

There are currently six rehabilitated lockhouses in the Canal Quarters program available for overnight stays, which provide guests the opportunity to step back in time and experience life as a lockkeeper. A seventh lockhouse (Swains Lockhouse) is currently undergoing the rehabilitation process and will join the award-winning program.

15,000 guests have stayed in Canal Quarters since their introduction in 2010

Each lockhouse reflects a unique, interpretive theme and time period of life along the Canal. Three of the lockhouses (22, 25, 28) are rustic, based on the 1830s-1860s time periods. Lockhouse 49 represents the 1890s and has electricity, while Lockhouse 10 (1930s) and Lockhouse 6 (1950s) have electricity, heat, running water, and air conditioning,

We have welcomed guests from 46 states and 4 countries

The Canal Quarters are a popular spot for families to gather for family reunions, birthday parties, retirement parties, weddings, and more. They are also a popular stop-over for visitors who are riding or hiking the entire 184.5 miles of the C&O Canal towpath. Guestbooks in each lockhouse tell tales of each visitor’s experience and make for entertaining reading!

Canal Quarters has won several prestigious awards including the 2014 Chairman’s Award for Achievement in Historic Preservation from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. All revenue collected from guest stays is funneled back into the program to preserve these historic gems.

34 volunteer Quartermasters help us care for the lockhouses

Each lockhouse is maintained by a group of volunteer Quartermasters, who aid guests, perform maintenance tasks, and make sure the lockhouses are clean for each guest who comes to stay. We could not run the program without them!

>> Learn more about the C&O Canal Trust’s accomplishments.