Locks 26 and 27, Lockbourne Vicinity

Along Canal Road
Lockbourne, OH 43137

https://www.lockbourneohio.us/

Locks 26 and 27, Lockbourne Vicinity

Lockbourne was founded at the location where the Ohio & Erie and the Columbus Feeder canals intersected. It is a small community but has a number of surviving canal resources, including these two locks at the approach to Lockbourne and Locks 29 and 30 within the Village. The Columbus Feeder Canal guard lock and Lock 2 are outside of Lockbourne but are not publicly accessible.

Lockbourne was founded at the location where the Ohio & Erie and the Columbus Feeder canals intersected. It is a small community but has a number of surviving canal resources, including these two locks at the approach to Lockbourne and Locks 29 and 30 within the Village. The Columbus Feeder Canal guard lock and Lock 2 are outside of Lockbourne but are not publicly accessible.

As the Ohio & Erie Canal ran from northeast to southwest between Groveport and Lockbourne, it descended a gentle slope into the valley of Big Walnut Creek. Locks 23, 24, and 25 were west of Groveport and no longer exist, but Locks 26 and 27 still stand here along Canal Road a little northeast of Lockbourne. They are typical “navigation” locks that, together with their modern surroundings, tell a story of the evolution of central Ohio’s transportation network. Canal Road is representative of the horse-and-buggy era and later of auto and truck transportation; just to the west of the canal are two railroad lines, built the late 19th and early 20th centuries and symbolic of the railroad era; and just to the southeast are the runways of Rickenbacker International Airport, built during World War II as Lockbourne Army Air Base, an example of the importance of modern air transportation. If the timing is right, a visitor to Locks 26 and 27 might see, all at the same time, a passing train, a cargo plane on final approach, and traffic along Canal Road. Only boats on the canal would be missing.

These canal features are listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Ohio and Erie Canal Southern Descent Historic District.

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Notes for Travelers

These two locks are located along Canal Road just outside the village of Lockbourne. Small parking areas are located at each of the locks so visitors can see them up close. Locke Meadow Park (separate website entry) in the village has the Magnolia walking trail following the canal route; two existing canal locks; and historical markers.



Credits

Jeff Darbee, Nancy Recchie, David Meyer

Additional Resources

Meyer, David. Life Along the Ohio Canal – Licking Reservoir to Lockbourne and Columbus Feeder

Meyer, David. Life Along the Ohio Canal in the Scioto River Valley

https://www.columbusmessenger.com/lockbourne-and-the-ohio-and-erie-canal.html

Seasonal events are held in the Old School House. Check this link for upcoming events. https://www.lockbourneohio.us/old-school-house

WOSU-TV, Columbus Neighborhoods program had a short segment on preservation of the canal locks in Groveport and Lockbourne. The link is below.

https://columbusneighborhoods.org/video/preserving-the-locks-groveport-and-lockbourne/