National Historic Landmark

Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

Chesapeake City, Cecil County, Maryland
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000390

About this property

The Old Lock Pump House on the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal was one of the first National Historic Landmarks to recognize an engineering achievement rather than an important building or a place associated with an historic event. The pump house, whose first element was built in 1837, preserves a feature of the old canal, which relied on locks and pumps to move vessels over the low divide of the Delmarva Peninsula between Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. Because there are no large rivers on the peninsula, water had to be pumped uphill to fill the upper canal and locks. When the canal was cut deeper in the twentieth century, such measures were no longer required, and the pump house is one of the last relics of the old canal.

Location

Chesapeake City, Cecil County, Maryland
39.52717, -75.80649

Categories

ENGINEERINGARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

South Chesapeake City Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi
Great House
Industrial
4.4 mi
Elk Landing
Industrial
5.1 mi
Holly Hall
Industrial
5.3 mi
Mitchell House
Industrial
5.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Iron Works Hill
1777Revolutionary War
4.4 mi
Battle of Cooch's Bridge (Delaware)
1777Revolutionary War
9.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal listed on the National Register?

Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal?

Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal?

The period of significance for Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal?

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