GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY Patowmack Canal and Locks (Great Falls Section) Historic Structures Report — Architectural Data Section

A. NAME AND LOCATION OF COMPLEX

The section of the Patowmack Canal at Great Falls, Virginia, was one of five skirting canals on the Potomac River which were envisioned and constructed by the Patowmack Company during the years 1786-1802. It should be noted that over the years the names of the river and the company have taken on various spellings that include Patowmack, Potawmack, Potomack, Potowmac and Potomac.¹

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1. Torres-Reyes III

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The Great Falls section of the Patowmack Canal is located on the west bank of the Potomac River, approximately 12 miles upriver from Washington, D.C. in Great Falls, Fairfax County, Virginia.

USGS 7.5 minute series — Seneca, Md., Va.; Vienna, Va., Md.; Falls Church, Va., Md.

UTM Coordinates:

A. 18. 304430. 4319150
B. 18. 304840. 4319150
C. 18. 305350. 4318050
D. 18. 304900. 4318050

B. MANAGEMENT CATEGORY AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPLEX

The Great Falls section of the Patowmack Canal was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1969 and in 1983 it was declared a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior. It is listed as the Potomac (Potowmack) (Patowmack) Canal Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. The canal falls into the "1a" category of significance.

This category includes "Resources that individually possess national significance, in terms of the criteria for evaluating proposed National Historical Landmarks . . . ."²

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2. NPS Management Policies p. v—3.

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The List of Classified Structures (LCS) designates 15 individual resources on the Great Falls section of the canal rather than defining it as a single entity. They are listed below.

Structure 1 Canal Inlet

Structure 2 Upper Spillway

Structure 3 Upper Guard Gate (Walls)

Structure 4 Lower Spillway

Structure 5 Mill Site, Potomac Canal Co.

Structure 6 Collecting Basin Wall

Structure 7 Forge Site

Structure 8 Waste Weir—Spillway Combination

Structure 9 Lower Guard Gate

Structure 10 Lock No. 1

Structure 11 Lock No. 2

Structure 12 Locks No. 3, 4, 5

Structure 13 Dicky's Inn (Meyes Tavern)—not covered in this HSR

Structure 14 Superintendent's House—not covered in this HSR

Structure 15 Spring House—not covered in this HSR

The management category as specified in the LCS survey, dated January 4, 1983, places Structure 1 through Structure 13 into category A. This category contains "Structures that must be preserved and maintained."³

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3. NPS Management Cultural Guidelines NPS—28, Chapter 5, p. 5.

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Structures 14 and 15 are in category B. This category contains "Structures that should be preserved and maintained."⁴

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4. Ibid.

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Since the Patowmack Canal Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the State Historic Preservation Officer and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation will be asked to comment on the proposed plan in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

C. PROPOSED USE OF THE COMPLEX AND JUSTIFICATION

Public Law 699, enacted by the 79th Congress, mandated the National Park Service to preserve the canal. In accordance with this, the work program will be a combination of stabilization and preservation elements derived from the three alternatives described and assessed in the document "Patowmack Canal Preservation Alternatives," May 1985.⁵ A Memorandum of Decision paper developed in December 1985 details the proposed preservation program for the resource.⁶

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5. See Appendix H.

6. See Appendix G.

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The proposed use and treatment of the canal is consistent with National Park Service Management Policies, August 1985 (Chapter 3, p. 7-9) that relate to the preservation of cultural resources.

D. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

There are no cooperative agreements in effect. The management of the canal is handled by a site manager located at Great Falls Park and comes under the administration of the Superintendent, George Washington Memorial Parkway. It should be noted that the park works closely with local community groups such as the Virginia Canals and Navigation Society, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Great Falls Historical Society.