Leesport Lock House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Leesport Lock House
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The Lock House during the flood of 2006.
Note the water behind the house from the Schuylkill River. |
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 27 E Wall St., Leesport, Pennsylvania |
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| Built | 1840 |
| Architect | Lee, Samuel |
| Architectural style | English Farm House |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001123 |
| Added to NRHP | June 09, 1977 |
The Leesport Lock House is a historic building in Leesport, Pennsylvania, USA. It stands next to a lock on the old Schuylkill Canal. Locks are like water elevators that help boats move up or down a canal. This house was built to help manage the canal's Locks #36 and #37.
The Lock House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1977. A group of teachers and school leaders bought the property in 1975. They formed the Leesport Lockhouse Foundation. Today, this foundation helps take care of the Lock House and runs programs there.
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Where is the Lock House?
The Lock House is located at 27 E Wall Street in Leesport, Pennsylvania. It is on the east side of the Schuylkill River. For many years, a car wash stood next to the Lock House. This car wash was built on top of part of the old lock. You can still see parts of the lock walls nearby.
The Lock House is also across the street from the Union Fire Company #1 of Leesport. The ambulance station for the Schuylkill Valley EMS is also very close.
A Look Back: History of the Lock House
The Lock House was first built in 1834 by the Schuylkill Navigation Company. This company was created to improve the Schuylkill River for transportation. Their goal was to move coal from the Coal Region down to the ports in Philadelphia.
For about 20 years, the Schuylkill Canal was the main way to transport large amounts of coal to Philadelphia. But then, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad was finished in 1841. Just four years later, the railroad was already moving three times more coal than the canal.
Even though the canal continued to carry a lot of coal until 1859, the Reading Railroad always carried more. After 1860, the canal's use began to slow down. In 1869, several problems hit the canal. A coal miners' strike meant less coal to transport. A drought caused water levels to drop very low. Later, severe flooding damaged many parts of the canal.
The Schuylkill Navigation Company struggled to find money for repairs. Because of this, the Reading Railroad leased the canal in 1870. By 1890, the canal was carrying much less cargo than it had during its busiest times.
Even with these changes, the Lock House remained important for Leesport. Both the canal and the railroad helped the town's economy grow.
The Lock House Today
The Leesport Lock House and its surrounding area have been restored. They now look like they did between 1880 and 1910. The Leesport Lock House Foundation takes care of the property.
The Lock House also hosts a fun event each year. It's called the Strawberry and Heritage Festival. This festival usually happens in early June.
You can find some interesting items from the Lock House and the Schuylkill Canal nearby. These artifacts are displayed at the Hoss's Restaurant. It is located just south of Leesport on Route 61.
See also
- Schuylkill Canal
- Philadelphia and Reading Railroad
- Schuylkill Canal Association
