Lock No. 30 and Feeder Dam
Why it's listed
Along the east bank of the Cuyahoga River near Peninsula, Ohio, a stone canal lock and the remains of a feeder dam recall the Ohio & Erie Canal. Built between 1825 and 1827, the lock is a standard mitered-gate type with a chamber 90 feet long and 15 feet wide. Its cut sandstone walls were repaired with concrete around 1905, and both gates are now gone, though water still stands in the chamber. The adjacent dam, also of cut stone, was one of only two feeder dams on the canal between Summit Lake and Cleveland. It was built across the river to raise the water level enough for a spillway to carry river water into the canal. The March 1913 flood destroyed the dam and nearly all of the canal between Akron and Cleveland. The site sits in a secluded spot between the river and a steep hillside, reachable only on foot, and it is valued as a surviving piece of the canal's engineering.
Significance in brief: The site is one of two feeder dams on the Ohio & Erie Canal between Summit Lake and Cleveland, the other being at Lock No. 36. The dam raised the river so water could flow to the canal. The lock is a standard mitered-gate type built of cut sandstone, and it is a surviving part of the canal system important to regional development.
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 79000306, listed December 11, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Off SR 303, Peninsula |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | December 11, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000306 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1825-1827 |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Engineering, Transportation, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated fair. Both lock gates are missing, there is water in the lock chamber, and the feeder dam was destroyed by the March 1913 flood, leaving only remains. The site is accessible only on foot. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.24487, -81.55359 (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.
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 79000306.
- 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.