{"nrhp_refnum":"78002439","name":"Lehigh Canal","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Lehigh Gap to S Walnutport boundary","address_restricted":false,"city":"Walnutport","county":"Northampton County","state":"PA","lat":40.76011054150004,"lon":-75.60768516874529,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-10-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Commerce","Historic - Non-Aboriginal","Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A section of the Lehigh Canal, a canal system running along the Lehigh River from the Lehigh Gap to Walnutport in Northampton and Lehigh Counties, Pennsylvania. The section includes locks, a guard lock, a dam, towpath and canal bed.","why_significant":"The canal was built to carry anthracite coal from the Mauch Chunk area to market, and the nomination argues it shaped the industry and settlement of the Lehigh River valley. The Walnutport section is described as having a canal boat building and repair industry centred on the town. The nomination describes the section as one of the best preserved stretches of the canal.","narrative":"The Lehigh Canal, a navigation waterway along the Lehigh River in eastern Pennsylvania, was begun in 1818 to carry anthracite coal from the Mauch Chunk area to market. Construction of the lower sections started in 1827 under the supervision of engineer Canvass White, and regular coal shipments began within two years. The Walnutport section between Lehigh Gap and Walnutport includes seven locks, a guard lock and a dam, along with 3.77 miles of canal bed and towpath. Locks 23 and 24 stand in the town of Walnutport, and the canal bed there is water-filled. The town itself grew from the canal and was once the centre of a canal boat building and repair industry. Commercial traffic on the canal ended in 1931, after the Lehigh Navigation and Coal Company ceased to make a profit. The section was nominated for its association with the coal transport industry and the canal's role in shaping towns along the river, and its relatively intact physical remains.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Canvass White (engineer); Josiah White (preliminary survey and engineering)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Walnutport section: Lock 22 and Dam #3 are in poor condition; Lock 24 is the best preserved; Lock 25 is deteriorated; canal bed and towpath are largely water-filled and cleared.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.877032-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/78002439.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002439/b66a8f2589-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002439/b66a8f2589-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Jet Lowe","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lehigh_Canal-Glendon.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jet Lowe</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lehigh_Canal-Glendon.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71998503","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lehigh_Canal","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1813103"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/northampton-county/lehigh-canal-78002439/"}