Lock Tender's House and Canal Store Ruin
Why it's listed
Beside Lock 20 of the Delaware & Hudson Canal in High Falls stands a two-story wood cottage built in 1848 for the lock tender. Near it lies the stone foundation of a general store dating from about 1850. The canal company built the cottage while rerouting and enlarging the canal up the hill at High Falls through a series of locks. The house keeps its original three-room-per-floor plan, six-over-six windows, pine floors and a paired Dutch-style entry door. The store foundation, with walls two feet thick, and two concrete snubbing posts used to secure barges also contribute to the property. Lock tenders passed boats through the lock and kept the water level below it, and the nearby store let bargemen buy dry goods, groceries and hardware while waiting. A storekeeper ran the business until 1892, and the canal closed in 1898. The site lies along the public towpath and is part of local walking tours of the canal's surviving features.
Significance in brief: The cottage is described as a unique example of housing built for D & H Canal lock tenders, put up by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company when the canal was rerouted and enlarged at High Falls. The adjoining general store foundation reflects the commerce that served canal bargemen. The property is tied to the canal's history from 1848 to 1898 and remains visible from the public towpath.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 98001010, listed August 6, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 40 Canal Rd., High Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | August 6, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001010 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1848-1898 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Transportation, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The cottage is in use as a single dwelling. The general store survives only as a stone foundation ruin. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.82368, -74.13033 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 98001010.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6665236
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.