C&O Canal

From Harpers Ferry to Miller’s Sawmill Road

Dam #3 and Lock 34

Lock 34 is the first lock after the Footbridge. This lock was built from grey limestone quarried in Shepherdstown WV, five miles up the river.

The remains of Dam #3 (Armory Dam) are still visible in the river. This dam was built for the armory at Harpers Ferry in 1799 but failed in its purpose to supply water to the newly constructed armory and nearby Shenandoah Canal. The dam was rebuilt in the late 1820’s to supply water to the canal.

The guard lock for Dam #3 is filled in to allow the towpath to cross over it. This inlet lock was also a lift lock as the water in the canal was at a lower level than the river.

The river and the canal were part of George Washington’s vision of the “Route to the West”. Iron ore was extracted from nearby Elk Run, site of the Keep Triest ore banks on the West Virginia side and on the Maryland side and boated up to the Antietam Ironworks located on Antietam Creek.
Lock 36 and Fort Duncan

“Fort Duncan was built by the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War to protect Harpers Ferry. The strategic need for the defenses had become apparent in September 1862 , when confederate General A.P. Hill captured Harpers Ferry during the Antietam campaign. The fort was begun in 1862 under General McClellan.” From The C&O Canal Companion by Mike High

Antietam Creek Aqueduct

“Completed in 1834, this three-arch aqueduct of blue-gray limestone is in the best condition of any of the larger, multiple-arched aqueducts, Antietam Creek runs south from Pennsylvania.” From The C&O Canal Companion by Mike High

Antietam Village and Ironworks

“Israel Friend bought land here in 1727, taking the unorthodox move of securing his property rights from Indians in the area, rather than from Lord Baltimore.” Friend sold his property rights to John Semple, who had interests in the Keep Triest Furnace on the WV side of the river.

The extraction of iron ore from the ore banks along the river in this location sparked several businessmen in the region of Sharpsburg. They bought up the land along the Maryland banks of the Potomac from here to Maryland Heights. George Washington, who had contacts with one of the businessmen, Joseph Chapline played a part in settling a dispute over mineral rights.

The business partnership with Semple and Chapline’s associates resulted in the establishment of the Frederick Forge which became the Antietam Ironworks.

A small village sprung up on this location at Antietam Creek and at its peak there were over 200 people employed at the blast furnace, sawmill and flour mill in addition to other small businesses.

Iron ore was shipped upstream from Harpers Ferry for conversion to iron bars which could then be shipped downriver to the Georgetown area for shipment overseas for fabrication. It was this commercial venture that was a catalyst for making the Potomac River navigable and it was John Semple’s visionary proposal to build a sluice or water channel to bypass the rapids above Harpers Ferry – what he termed a “Stillwater canal, with locks” From Robert J. Kapsch’s book – The Potomac Canal, George Washington and the Waterway West.

Miller’s Sawmill Road

This road leads up a steep hill into an intersection with Harpers Ferry Road. Miller’s Basin contains several houses that were built during the canal years. This was a market community where goods from the canal boats were traded.