Pennsylvania Canal (Delaware Division)

Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Location	Easton, Pennsylvania
Built	1831
MPS	Covered Bridges of the Delaware River Watershed TR (AD)
NRHP reference No.	74001756
Added to NRHP	October 29, 1974

The Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal runs from the Lehigh River at Easton to Bristol. It runs parallel to the Delaware River generally within sight of the river.

The canal was built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of its Main Line of Internal Improvements to carry coal, limestone, cement, and lumber from the northeastern reaches of Pennsylvania to Philadelphia, and originally was 60 miles (96.6 km) in length. Width is approximately 60 feet (18.3 m) and depth is approximately 3 feet (91.4 cm)

Construction, which was done entirely with hand tools using primarily imported labor from Ireland, started in 1829. The state sold the canal to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company in 1858, and the last commercial through traffic traveled the canal in October 1931.

The Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal and its towpath became Theodore Roosevelt State Park in 1940 when the berms were restored and the canal was refilled with water. The park was renamed Delaware Canal State Park in 1989.

Portions of the Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal towpath were washed away or damaged during the flooding events that have affected the Delaware Valley since 2004. A number of sections of the towpath remain closed and impassable, including a long stretch north of Washington Crossing and sections south of Riegelsville. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) is refurbishing the washed out sections of the canal as of 2009.

Mule barge tourist ride

Mule-drawn barges provided rides for chartered private parties running from a landing at Lock #11 at New Hope north to a point about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) above Centre Bridge, for a total one-way ride length of 4.5 miles (7.2 km). These private parties included weddings, company parties and birthday parties.

Tourist rides were also offered, however, they stopped in the vicinity of the Rabbit Run bridge, which carries PA 32 over the canal, about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Lock #11, which was restored circa 2005. These rides were offered from approximately 1955 to 2004. Each boat could transport between 55-80 passengers and were pulled by two mules. A musician who also told the history of the canal was often on board.

It is unlikely that these rides will return to the canal, as maintenance has been limited to areas not used for barge traffic by DCNR, which is the state agency responsible for the operation of the canal. Barge ride employees jokingly referred to DCNR by two acronyms - the polite version being "Delaware Canal Needs Restoration". The "historically-authentic, canaller version" was "Damn Canal Needs Repair".

Also, since 1997, operation of the barges have been under onerous regulations by the U.S. Coast Guard (for example, steersmen on a 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h) animal-drawn boat are required to obtain a Master Mariner's license) and, if reopened, would face regulations imposed in 2009 on its sister operation in Easton, PA by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for crew members in "sensitive shipboard and dockside locations".

See also

• Lehigh Canal - A sister canal in the Lehigh Valley that fed coal traffic to the Delaware Canal via a connection in Easton, Pennsylvania.
• Delaware and Raritan Canal - A New Jersey canal connection to the New York market across the Delaware River.
• Chesapeake and Delaware Canal - A canal crossing the Delmarva Peninsula in the states of Delaware and Maryland, connecting the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware Bay.

External links

• Delaware Canal Photos
• PA DCNR Delaware Canal State Park
• Delaware Canal History