Lock 54 - Lock Berlin
Here we're looking toward the south chamber, from the east end, of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock 54 at Lock Berlin. Lock 54, a double chamber lock, was built in 1841. The north chamber was lengthened in 1888. Due to this lock being mostly surrounded by water, it isn't very accessible. Whenever I'm at this lock a small passage from Richard Garrity's book "Canal Boatman" comes to mind. In this well written book he describes growing up on his father's boats which traveled the Erie Canal in the early years of the century (1905-1916). He says of the Lock Berlin area "The canal banks along here were so overgrown with trees and plant life that nothing could be seen of the village whether we approached it by day or night. It was one of the most lonesome and isolated spots along the entire canal". In fact, the day I was out here taking this picture, it was heading toward nightfall, raining a bit and all in all quite dreary. So, in a sense, I really was able to visualize it as he had described it. The lock is hidden by a wooded area that separates it from Route 31 and as night approaches and you start losing light and don't hear any traffic sounds coming from Route 31, it definitely does have a lonesome feel to it and even becomes a bit creepy when you're all alone out there. I must say however, that this lock is one of my favorites and I always stop when I'm passing through Wayne County. It is located in a small canal park, off Route 31, near Gansz Road in the hamlet of Lock Berlin, NY.
Lock 54 - Lock Berlin
Here we're looking toward the south chamber, from the east end, of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock 54 at Lock Berlin. Lock 54, a double chamber lock, was built in 1841. The north chamber was lengthened in 1888. Due to this lock being mostly surrounded by water, it isn't very accessible. Whenever I'm at this lock a small passage from Richard Garrity's book "Canal Boatman" comes to mind. In this well written book he describes growing up on his father's boats which traveled the Erie Canal in the early years of the century (1905-1916). He says of the Lock Berlin area "The canal banks along here were so overgrown with trees and plant life that nothing could be seen of the village whether we approached it by day or night. It was one of the most lonesome and isolated spots along the entire canal". In fact, the day I was out here taking this picture, it was heading toward nightfall, raining a bit and all in all quite dreary. So, in a sense, I really was able to visualize it as he had described it. The lock is hidden by a wooded area that separates it from Route 31 and as night approaches and you start losing light and don't hear any traffic sounds coming from Route 31, it definitely does have a lonesome feel to it and even becomes a bit creepy when you're all alone out there. I must say however, that this lock is one of my favorites and I always stop when I'm passing through Wayne County. It is located in a small canal park, off Route 31, near Gansz Road in the hamlet of Lock Berlin, NY.