Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1953-03-05


articles dealing with spots of local
color and beauty generally I'M
known and unappreciated
"VIOLET'S LOCK"
Violet's Lock is one mile below
Seneca on the old Chesapeake &
Ohio Canal. Here during the OPP
Grafton of the canal, was located
the only feeder" lock east of
Harpers Ferry. This feeder" lock
served a double purpose-it not
only supplied the water for the
canal from the river, but it was
also used as a western egress TO
the Potomac River of pole-propel-
led canal boats for the purpose of
picking up loads of pulp wood from
the Virginia shore. The Seneca
Dam, which existed then, deepened
the water for the huge barges,
giving ample assurance of their not
going aground. These boats, thanks
to the dam, operated as far west
as the first island, a distance of
about one mile, with absolute and
complete impunity.
The Federal government pur-
chased the canal in 1886 and, to
date, has restored it to it's original
condition as far west as Violet's
Lock. 1t is now kept full of water
the year round, although when
owned by the canal company, it
was drained in the winter to pro-
tect the canals banks during freez-
ing and thawing weather; in the
summer it was filled because of
the mosquito menace.
The restored stretch, about Is
miles in length, is now a Federal
game preserve. Warning signs,
conspicuously posted, forbid hunt
ing and trapping. We noted with
pleasure the other day while there,
the apparent presence in abundance
of extensive muskrat habitation in
the restored part of the canal-re-
membering quite we'll when, not
too long ago, this valuable fur
bearing animal was almost extinct
in this particular section.
1t would not be feasible to re-
store the canal any further than
Violet's Lock unless the restora-
ton extended as far as Harpers
Ferry, for there is no filler" lock
within this % mile stretch. Of
course, it could be built anywhere
along the course, but this would
mean the construction of another
river dam and lock, entailing an
enormous expenditure of money.
One of the Izaak Walton club
houses Greatly a fishing "shack")
is located on the river side of the
canal at Violet's Lock, and a few
cabins are to be found on the birm
side. The old canal lock house
burned to the ground many years
ago-wiping out another historic
Montgomery County landmark.
At Violet's Lock, at one time,
strong, three foot wide concrete
and stone dam stretched across
the river, impounding and thus
deepening the water there. This
dam was used as a medium for
raising the level OF, the river, al
lowing the replenishment of water
necessary for the sustained opera
ton of the canal. Soon after active
freight shipping operations ceased,
due to completion of the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad, which traversed
the same route as the canal-from
Georgetown, DC. to Cumberland,
Maryland-(the service being much
faster and considerably cheaper)
the dam was destroyed by dyna-
mite all the way across, with the
exception of about hundred feet
in front of the canal. This part
of the dam was left intact because
of the protection it afforded the
canal from the swift, onrushing
waters of the river during the pro-
gress of a flood.
The dam was really destroyed
mainly to allow the salmon
Thought to be in the river) to go
upstream to spawn (they will
spawn at no other place. but, for
some strange reason there was
found to be no salmon at all where
salmon were supposed to be; there
fore the destroying of the dam
did little, if any good, as far as
helping fish propagation.
Anyone who appreciates nature