Watch House

The only Watch House left standing on the Canal is on the upstream berm side at the end of Lock 50. This house allowed a safe-haven from weather for lock keepers to see oncoming boats, as it was closer to the locks and offered better visibility than the lockhouse did. The lock keepers were on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When a canal boat approached the lock, the lock keepers had to help the boat “lock through” by closing the locks to raise or lower the water level.