Miami-Erie Canal Lock No. 70
Why it's listed
Miami-Erie Canal Lock No. 70 is a limestone canal lock at the southwest corner of Fishburg and Endicott Roads in Huber Heights, Ohio, built around 1830. Two parallel walls about 15 feet apart run roughly 120 feet, with staggered stones, some cut as triangles, and polished hinge pockets where gate poles once turned. Silt fills the canal bed, trees have pushed some stones outward, and the southeast end has collapsed, though the stone itself is in very good condition and a weir and bypass channel remain. It is the last of three locks once located in Wayne Township and a remnant of the canal system that spurred Ohio's economic growth in the early 1800s. A marble dust factory once stood beside it, though no visible evidence survives, and the area holds archeological potential. The City of Huber Heights owns the lock and its five-acre plot and intends to develop a small park around it.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as the last of three canal locks once in Wayne Township and a remnant of the Miami-Erie Canal system, which shaped Ohio's rapid economic growth in the early 1800s. It is in a remarkably good state of preservation. The area is also considered archeologically important for investigating a former milling and transportation area.
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 82001479, listed December 20, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Fishburg and Endicott Rds., Huber Heights |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | December 20, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001479 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant; owned by the City of Huber Heights, which plans to make the lock the centerpiece of a small park on a five-acre plot. Condition is fair, with some wall collapse and displaced stones. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 39.84121, -84.15885 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 82001479.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.