Newichawannock Canal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Great Falls Company Newichawannock Canal Historic District
|
|
 |
|
 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Wakefield, New Hampshire and Acton, Maine |
|---|---|
| Built | c. 1850 |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000460 |
| Added to NRHP | August 6, 2014 |
The Newichawannock Canal is a special waterway built by people. It connects Great East Lake to Horn Pond. You can find it right on the border between Wakefield, New Hampshire, and Acton, Maine, in the northeastern United States. This canal feeds into the Salmon Falls River. The Abenaki people, who lived here long ago, called this river Newichawannock. This name means "river with many falls."
The canal was started in 1850 by the Great Falls Company. They wanted more water for their factories in Somersworth, New Hampshire. This canal is quite unusual. It was built for factories, but it's far away from where the factories actually were. The canal is about 0.75-mile (1.21 km) long. It also forms the border between New Hampshire and Maine. A stone bridge, built at the same time, crosses over it. In 2014, the canal, the bridge, and other related items were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.
Contents
What the Canal Looks Like
The Newichawannock Canal is located between Great East Lake to the north and Horn Pond to the south. It sits on the southern part of the border between Maine and New Hampshire. The canal is about 13 feet (4.0 m) wide. It is also about 16 feet (4.9 m) deep. Its sides are lined with stones that are not held together with mortar.
The Stone Bridge
A stone-arch bridge also crosses the canal. It was built at the same time as the canal. This bridge carries Canal Road over the water. You can also see piles of stones nearby. These stones were likely left over from when the canal was built. There is even a second canal. It is now underwater in Great East Lake. Horn Pond is where the Salmon Falls River begins. This river flows into the Piscataqua River. Both of these rivers form the border between New Hampshire and Maine further south.
Why the Canal Was Built
The Great Falls Company started in 1823. They built factories to make cloth using the power of the Salmon Falls River. These factories were in Somersworth, New Hampshire. By about 1860, the factory complex had grown very large. It included six big buildings. About 1,500 people worked there.
More Water for Factories
To make sure the factories had enough water, the company bought water rights. These rights were for Great East Lake and Horn Pond. They began building the canal in the 1850s. Other factories, like Cocheco Woolen Mills, also used this extra water later on. The canal was not finished until the 1860s. This was partly because of the American Civil War. A civil engineer named Hiram Paul built the canal. He lived in Wakefield.
The Canal Today
As of 2020, the northern part of the canal is mostly blocked. Its sides have fallen in. However, the southern part of the canal can still be used. You can reach it from Horn Pond. There is a group called the Great East Lake Improvement Association. They have a program called "Save the Newichawannock Canal." They are working to protect this important historical waterway.
