Potowmack Company: Great Falls Canal & Locks, Great Falls, Fairfax County, Virginia

Significance: The Great Falls Canal was a pioneer effort in the comprehensive development of a river navigation system. Constructed in the years (1786-1802) following the American Revolution, George Washington promoted the canal as a trade route that was key to establishing economic ties that would link the Atlantic states with territories west of the Allegheny Mountains. Great Falls was the most formidable engineering challenge of the five major canal construction projects to make the Potomac navigable. To overcome a 76 foot drop in river level at Great Falls, five locks were constructed, two of which were blasted from rock. Built at a time when few professional engineers were in America, the Great Falls Canal was one of the first locked canals and one of the first construction projects to use black powder.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-12
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1516
Survey number: HAER VA-13
Building/structure dates: 1786-1802 Initial Construction