Traces of the Erie Canal

Not all old Erie Canal structures are maintained by the State of New York or interested historical groups. Some suffer from benign neglect, and just slowly deteriorate. Some are used as dumps. Some are in private hands and are utilized however the owner wishes. This page illustrates some of these traces.

Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 61 (also called the Upper Macedon lock) is located at the eastern edge of the business district of Macedon, N.Y., just north of the junction of Route 31 and Route 31F/350, and just south and across the road from Lock No. 30 of the present Erie Canal. The lock is a double-chamber lock, with the north chamber double-length. To the west of the lock and Route 31F/350 is an undisturbed stretch of the Enlarged Erie Canal.

Lock No. 61 is currently used as a spillway for the present Lock No. 30. The area around it is not maintained, and the growth of brush makes it difficult to see. In addition, a pedestrian bridge has been built across the western end of the lock, to serve as a walkway for employees to cross the old canal bed from a parking lot to the adjacent plastic films plant.


Looking east at Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 61 from Rt. 31F/350 in Macedon. The pedestrian bridge almost entirely hides the lock.	Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 61 - western end. To the left is the bridge across the lock. The electrical box presumably controls the lock gate which controls the water level.


A portion of the north chamber of Lock No. 61, looking southeast.	Another portion of the north chamber of Lock No. 61, looking southwest.


A portion of the north chamber of Lock No. 61, looking south, showing on the far side a recess for one of the gates when in the open position, and on the near side the traces where a metal bracket which held the gate pivots used to be located.

Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 58 (also called the Upper Lockville lock) is located in Newark, N.Y. just north of Route 31 on Lyons Street. It is approximately a half mile east of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 59. The lock is a single-length double-chamber lock.

Lock No. 58 is currently the property of a scrap metal company, which has built a workshop/storage building in most of the south chamber. Scrap metal is stored in the eastern end of the north chamber.


Looking west at the south chamber of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 58 in Newark, N.Y. The northern wall of the south chamber can be seen to the right of the building.	Looking west at the north chamber of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 58 in Newark, N.Y. This end is filled with scrap metal. The stone of the chamber can just barely be seen above the dumpster on the left and through the shrubbery on the right.

Right: Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 58 - Newark, N.Y. -- western end, north chamber, looking southwest, showing on the far side (behind the tree with dark bark) a recess for one of the lock gates when in the open position.


Views of the western end of the north chamber of Lock No. 58, looking east. The lock walls can barely be glimpsed behind the shrubbery.

Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 32 is located in Fort Plain, N.Y. at the east end of town on Route 5S. The lock is a double-chamber lock originally built about 1850, with the south chamber double-length, lengthened in 1888. Lock No. 32 currently has a garage and house built atop it. The lock runs through the basements of both the garage building and the house to the west and across the front yard of the house.

The following two pictures were taken in April 2007 by Fred Wehner. For larger versions of these pictures as well as more pictures of the lock, go to The Travels of Tug 44 page.


Lock 32 --east entrance to the extended south chamber, which runs through the basement of the garage.	Lock 32 -- The lock continues across the front yard of the house, looking like a pair of sidewalks running to the carwash next door.

Other Traces of the Erie Canal

Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 61 -- Macedon, N.Y.

Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 58 -- Newark, N.Y.

Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 32 -- Fort Plain, N.Y.