Lockhouse 21

Details

Towpath Mile: 16.7
Parking: Available
Price Per Night: $160
Additional Fees: One-time $80 maintenance fee; One-time $20 occupancy fee for groups of 6-8 only
Time Period Depicted: 1916
Nearest Communities: Potomac

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Overview:

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

Features & Amenities

Kitchen:

• 1910s kitchen with stove, oven and refrigerator.
• Place settings for 8 guests; dishes, utensils, water glasses.
• Pots, pans, and cooking utensils.
• Drip-style coffee maker.
• Cleaning supplies provided.
• Paper towels provided.
• Dish soap and hand soap.

Bathroom:

• 1910s bathroom with tub/shower.
• Hand soap provided.
• Toilet paper provided.

Bedroom:

• One bedroom with full sized bed and a trundle; One bedroom with 2 twins and 2 trundles; and an ADA-accessible Murphy bed on first floor.

HVAC:

• Central air conditioning and heat.
• Air purifiers located on first and second floor.

Backyard:

• Fire ring.
• Picnic table.
• Firewood included.

Not Provided:

• Linens, such as towels, blankets, sheets, and pillows are NOT provided at any of the seven lockhouses.
• Fireplaces are NOT functional.