OHIO & ERIE CANAL SOUTHERN DESCENT NRHP NOMINATION

Various Sites Throughout Central and Southern Ohio

WHY

The Ohio & Erie Canal was originally constructed in the 1820s and 1830s to convey goods from Portsmouth to Cleveland. The canal system played a critical role in Ohio’s early development and cemented the growth of Akron, Columbus, Chillicothe, Newark, and numerous other cities along the route. The canal system was the key transportation system in Ohio until the proliferation of railroads in the 1860s. Although parts of the canal were on the National Register, much of the southern portion was not. This nomination covered many of the lock structures and other remaining infrastructure that remain on the canal’s southern descent between Columbus and Portsmouth.

HOW

The nomination team aggregated a list of potential infrastructure to be placed on the Register and contacted private property owners or municipalities to seek support. The final list included lock structures, watered canals, bridge abutments, and other elements located in 4 counties throughout Central and Southern Ohio. Identifying the location for each of the elements included field visits and the use of high resolution aerial photography. A boundary was created for each element to serve as the official historic site on the National Register of Historic Places.

WHAT

Given its geographic reach and broad collection of relatively small sites, this nomination was technically challenging. However, it serves as a model for other non-contiguous district nominations that preserve transportation, infrastructure, or other geographically complex historic sites.

COLLABORATORS

Benjamin D. Rickey & Co.

SERVICES

Historic Preservation
Urban Planning