An Organization for Canal Advocates

Recent Campaign - Stabilize the Shanty!

Help Preserve our Erie Canal Locktender Watch House

Every Enlarged Erie Canal lock had a watch house between the two lock chambers. These "shanties" were iconic features of our canal landscape. The Society has one of the very few surviving watch houses, rescuing it from a farmer's field in March 2019 in hopes of eventually placing it at our Lock 52 in Port Byron. Dating from the mid-19th century, this shanty was at Lock 54 in Lock Berlin and is nearly identical to the one that stood at our lock.

See the shanty images below from about 1900 and today.

With your help, we could continue to work on the shanty's preservation. Depending on our piggy bank, we hope to begin work in the next few weeks to better secure the little house for the winter. We know there are so many other needs of late that we all need to support. If you could help with this, we'll be especially grateful!

To help support our mission and projects like this, donate through PayPal using the link above.

Questions? Please ask! info@newyorkcanals.org.