Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District is a registered
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
on the
Miami and Erie Canal
The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal that ran from Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio, creating a water route between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845 at a cost to the state government of $ ...
near
West Chester,
Ohio. The district consists of Lock #38 on the canal, the house used by the lock's gatekeeper, and several foundation sites from demolished canal-related buildings. The
limestone lock was built in 1825-26 as part of the original construction of the canal, which connected the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
to
Lake Erie. The gatekeeper's house, the second built at the lock, was constructed in 1870; the first house's foundation is still present as well. A
mill race connects the lock to the former Friend and Fox Paper Company, which opened a
paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...
on the canal in 1866. The paper mill was destroyed by a fire in 1932, though its foundations and retaining walls are still part of the site.
The district was added to the
National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1978.
Notes
Canals on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio
Historic districts in Butler County, Ohio
National Register of Historic Places in Butler County, Ohio
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