Lock No. 33
Also known as: Lost Lock
Why it's listed
Lock No. 33, called the "Lost Lock," is a canal lock from the Ohio & Erie Canal in Boston Township, Summit County, Ohio. It sits about one mile south of Highland Road along an unmarked, unimproved road that was once the canal towpath, and it lies roughly half a mile south of the old Jaite Paper Mill. Built between 1825 and 1827, it is a standard mitered-gate lock with a chamber 90 feet long and 15 feet wide. Its cut stone walls are partly covered by concrete applied around 1905. Both gates are gone, the approaches are badly deteriorated, and thickets have overgrown the lock and canal, though water remains in the chamber. The Ohio & Erie Canal, completed in 1832, connected Lake Erie at Cleveland with the Ohio River at Portsmouth and for thirty years shaped commerce, manufacturing and population growth in Ohio. This lock was located near the once-thriving canal town of Boston.
Significance in brief: The lock is a surviving piece of the Ohio & Erie Canal, which linked Lake Erie at Cleveland with the Ohio River at Portsmouth and, for about 30 years, drove commerce, manufacturing and population growth in Ohio. Reviewers noted the canal's importance in regional development. The lock is also included in a historic civil engineering landmark listing by the Ohio Council of ASCE.
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 79000309, listed December 11, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 mi. S of Highland Rd., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | December 11, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000309 |
| 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 listed as fair; the approaches are badly deteriorated, both gates are missing, there is water in the chamber, and the lock and canal are overgrown with thickets. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.27663, -81.56091 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 79000309.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q97994453
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.