Lockville Dam, Canal and Powerhouse
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Why it's listed
Beside the Deep River near Moncure, a 600-foot concrete dam, a 2,300-foot canal and a brick powerhouse record several chapters of local history. The present dam and powerhouse date from 1922, when the Moncure Manufacturing Company replaced an old log dam and reused an earlier canal to generate hydroelectric power. A 1,300 horsepower generator supplied electricity to Pittsboro beginning in September 1922, and Carolina Power and Light later took over the plant and retired it in 1962. Parts of the canal, including mortared stone retaining walls, appear to date from the mid-1850s, when the Cape Fear and Deep River Navigation Company built locks and dams to carry coal and other goods by water. The site was also a campground used by Lord Cornwallis after the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Together, the remains show how the same stretch of river served milling, navigation and electric power, and the property is recognized for its transportation, engineering and industrial history.
Significance in brief: The site reflects over a century of efforts to develop river navigation in the piedmont, including the Cape Fear and Deep River Navigation Company's locks and canal of the 1850s. It also marks the early twentieth-century electrification of Chatham County, when the canal was reused for hydroelectric power from 1922. The masonry walls, dam and powerhouse are seen as representative engineering and industrial remains, and the site may yield further historical information.
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 84000305, listed November 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Moncure at Deep River and U.S. 1, Moncure |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | November 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000305 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- (specific dates ca. 1850-1855; 1922) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Engineering, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in good condition and altered; the powerhouse generator was removed in 1962 when the facility was retired, and much of the metal sash and loading doors have been vandalized or removed. |
| Acreage | 18 |
| Coordinates | 35.62016, -79.09638 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 84000305.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18153738
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.