Next weekend offers you a great chance to check out the lockhouses along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal that sheltered the lock keepers back when the canal was a key transportation route.
On the weekend of Nov. 8-9 the C&O Canal Trust will celebrate the fifth anniversary of its Canal Quarters program, which opens lockhouses to overnight guests. Since the first guests spent the night in Lockhouse 22 five years ago, more than 9,500 people from 37 states have logged 2,800 stays, according to the Canal Trust.
Now, it's not often that all six lockhouses are open to the public for free, but they will be next weekend.
Saturday, November 8, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Lockhouse 22: milemarker 19.6 near Potomac
-A historic preservationist demonstrates 19th century building methods.
Lockhouse 25: milemarker 30.9 near Poolesville
-Civilian re-enactors speak about life on the Canal during the Civil War.
Lockhouse 28: milemarker 48.9 near Point of Rocks
-A local historian will give talks about the history of the Canal and the neighboring town of Point of Rocks.
Sunday, November 9, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Lockhouse 6: mile marker 5.4 near Brookmont
-Local musicians will play for visitors.
Lockhouse 10: milemarker 8.8 near Cabin John
-Local historian and C&O Canal Trust Board member, Judy Welles, will guide a historical walking tour.
Lockhouse 49: milemarker 108.7 near Clear Spring
-NPS Ranger Kelly Fox will guide a walking tour of the historic structures that made up the community of Four Locks.
Each lockhouse is available for overnight stays of up to three nights, allowing guests to step back in time. The lockhouses are all furnished to reflect a specific time period from the 1830s to 1950s, and also include many books, journals, and scrapbooks to enjoy during your stay.
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