Brookmont near Bethesda in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
A Canal Home
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Tom Fuchs, November 4, 2006
1. A Canal Home Marker
“When I was 7, we moved [to the] lock, and we were very happy. My mother was so happy to have a home; she was just about wild. And we did love it here, as a locktender, you know?” —Lavenia Cross Waskey
The canal company supplied locktenders with a house next to the lock which enabled them to work the lock day and night. The house provided more than a roof over their heads: it was a stable home for their families. For children, used to the transient canal boat life, a permanent home meant a chance to attend school and make lasting friends.
In addition to the house, locktenders received a small monthly salary and an acre of land. The low pay meant that locktenders had to supplement their incomes. A garden plot helped put food on the table and any excess produce could be traded with boatmen for coal and other necessities. Women baked bread or pies for trade. Children contributed by helping in the garden at the lock, as well as by fishing or hunting muskrats for the canal company’s bounty reward.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Buildings • Waterways & Vessels
this page online
Location. Marker has been reported permanently removed. It was located near 38° 56.693′ N, 77° 7.44′ W. Marker was near Bethesda, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It was in Brookmont. Marker could be reached from Clara Barton Parkway south of the Glen Echo Exit. Marker is on the C&O Canal towpath at Lock 6, milemarker 5.4. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 6100 Clara Barton Pkwy, Bethesda MD 20816, United States of America.
We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Lockhouse 6 (here, next to this marker); A Way for Fish (approx. 0.3 miles away); Inlet Locks (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Dalecarlia Tunnel (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Georgetown Branch Railroad (approx. 0.6 miles away); Original Federal Boundary Stone, District of Columbia, Northwest 4 (approx. 0.7 miles away); Auxiliary Battery
Photographed By Tom Fuchs, November 4, 2006
2. C&O Canal Locktender's House at Lock 6
This is the view from the parking lot. The canal and lock are behind the trees to the left. The stone-lined bypass flume that passes hard by the house on the right can be seen in the foreground. Dirt path on right leads to a footbridge across the flume. A plank over the flume (foreground) makes for a shorter, if more precarious, route to the house. A sharp eye will notice the 21st century heat pump compressor next to the basement door of this 19th century house.
More about this marker. A small parking area on the Clara Barton Parkway is signed for Lock 6. There is no cut in the median, so if you are driving outbound (north from Washington) you will have to continue past to the Glen Echo exit to turn around so you can reach the parking lot. The marker has been removed and replaced with the Lockhouse 6 marker.
Regarding A Canal Home. This house is one of the few that is still occupied.
Photographed By Tom Fuchs, November 4, 2006
3. C&O Canal Locktender's House at Lock 6
This view is from the towpath showing the footbridge across the lock. Because of the footbridge, the canal is not navigable at this point, although the upstream lockgate is doing its job of holding back the water.
Photographed By Tom Fuchs, November 4, 2006
4. C&O Canal Lock 6
This view from the footbrige shows Lock 6 braced with wood beams.
Photographed By Mike Stroud, October 1985
5. Boats similar to this were pulled through the locks and along the canal
Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,322 times since then and 12 times this year. Last updated on January 1, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 2, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. 5. submitted on January 24, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
