Lock-Keeper's House
Why it's listed
Beside the old James River and Kanawha Canal at Cedar Point in Goochland County stands a two-story frame house built circa 1836 to serve Lock Number 7. It rests on a whitewashed stone foundation set into a steep slope, with a long shed-roof porch facing the river and a central chimney serving all rooms. The interior layout is unusual: the lock-keeper's family occupied the western half, while the eastern rooms housed canal travelers, reached by a separate enclosed stair. The house also operated as a tavern, and tolls and cargo invoices were handled at the lock during the busiest years of the 1840s and 1850s. It is described as the last surviving lock-keeper's house of the canal system and probably the only one left in Virginia. After the Civil War the canal passed to a railroad company, which laid tracks on the towpath. Floods later silted in the lock, and the house now serves as a weekend residence.
Significance in brief: It is described as the last remaining lock-keeper's house of the James River and Kanawha Canal system and is believed to be the only such building standing in Virginia. It served Lock Number 7, a busy canal point in the 1840s and 1850s, and its stair arrangement reflects its dual role as residence and hostelry for canal travelers.
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 74002119, listed November 21, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Off VA 6 at James River, Cedar Point |
|---|---|
| County | Goochland County |
| Listed | November 21, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74002119 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (Mid) |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In good condition; thoroughly renovated after flood damage from Hurricanes Camille and Agnes and used as a weekend residence. The lock it served has silted in and is no longer visible. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.69142, -77.90868 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 74002119.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712725
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.