Canal lock with people and boats under a cloudy sky - historic dams and canals

Self-guided · County in Maryland

Historic Dams and Canals in Harford County, MD

Canals, locks, dams and waterworks near you, the engineering that moved goods and water before the highways.

Harford County is one of 24 counties in Maryland. Some of these sites are open to visitors, some are private, and some are ruins. All of them are on the record, and all of them can be seen from the public way.

Hoover dam building entrance with visitors - historic dams and canals — Photo: Varun Venugopal on Unsplash

A person walks beside a canal with boats and houses - historic dams and canals — Photo: Kevin Musumbu on Unsplash

Horse pulling a boat along a canal - historic dams and canals — Photo: Tony Williams on Unsplash

On the record near Harford County, MD

The 7 nearest

7 listed sites on the record match historic dams and canals within 60 miles of Harford County, MD, out of 319 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 36 listed sites carry Harford County as their county.

Old Lock Pump House, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal27 miles from the center of Harford County · Building · Chesapeake City · listed 1966National Register of Historic Places
Eastern Lock of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal39 miles from the center of Harford County · Structure · Delaware City · listed 1975National Register of Historic Places
Allegheny Aqueduct57 miles from the center of Harford County · Structure · Gibraltar · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
Main Sewerage Pumping Station, District of Columbia58 miles from the center of Harford County · Building · Washington · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places
Lockkeeper's House, C & O Canal Extension58 miles from the center of Harford County · Building · Washington · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
Cabin John Aqueduct59 miles from the center of Harford County · Structure · Glen Echo · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
Castle Gatehouse, Washington Aqueduct59 miles from the center of Harford County · Building · Washington · listed 1975National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Harford County, MD. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Dams and Canals in Harford County, step by step

1
See every listed site of this kind in the area
2
Sort by distance and pick the closest few
3
Read the record for the year, the builder and the use
4
View from the public way and note what has changed
5
Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in Harford County, MD ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Harford County, MD?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in Harford County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Harford County, MD the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Harford County, MD are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.