Pennsylvania Canal Guard Lock and Feeder Dam, Raystown Branch
Also known as: Raystown Branch Feeder Canal
Why it's listed
Along the Juniata River just below its junction with the Raystown Branch, east of Huntingdon, a stone guard lock built in 1831 survives with its feeder canal and dam remnants. Two parallel stone walls, about 90 feet long, eight feet high and fifteen feet apart, still stand. Vertical indentations along the walls at two- to three-foot intervals mark where timbers held the planking that lined the lock walls and floor. Stone retaining walls protect the bank from erosion. Stretches of the feeder dam extend from the lock to an island in the river, and an earthen channel runs about nine-tenths of a mile to the canal. Contracts for the works were let in 1828, with Uriah Wickwire building the feeder and Dearmond, Rodearmel and Company the dam. The feeder kept the canal's water level steady and let boats built on Standing Stone Creek enter the system. The canal closed in the 1870s, and the feeder was abandoned.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the feeder lock and canal are significant for their association with local transportation history, as a rare example of the engineering used to build the Pennsylvania Canal through Huntingdon County, and for the information they can yield on local canal construction methods. The stone lock preserves vertical timber indentations that show how the plank lining was secured. The nomination also describes it as the best preserved canal remnant in the county.
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 90000394, listed March 20, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2.5 mi. E of Huntingdon, S of US 22 on the Juniata River, Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Huntingdon County |
| Listed | March 20, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000394 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1831-1870c |
| Architect / builder | Uriah Wickwire (feeder); Dearmond, Rodearmel and Company (dam) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deteriorated: some stones have fallen, hardware has rusted or been removed, and fill has accumulated in the lock and canal bed; the feeder was abandoned after the canal closed in the 1870s. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.44904, -77.96733 (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 90000394.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15265908
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.