Georgetown Area: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Historical Park, National Park Service

Elder, Elise; Weldon, Daniel

The Georgetown Area Cultural Landscape is located in northwest Washington, D.C. bounded by M Street to the north and the Potomac River to the south, and consists of the canal prism, lift locks, towpath, crossover bridges, and other contributing and non-contributing features associated with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The study boundary extends from Mile Marker 0.0 in Georgetown west to the Washington Canoe Club and is a component landscape of the larger Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (CHOH). This unit of the National Park Service was established by an Act of Congress on January 8, 1971. The study boundary includes all lands managed by CHOH. The study area for this Cultural Landscape Inventory (CLI) is located within the Georgetown Historic District, a National Historical Landmark, which was established by the Old Georgetown Act in 1956. This CLI finds that the Georgetown Area Cultural Landscape has a period of significance from 1828 to 1960 and consists of elements pertaining to different eras and distinct landscape activities, which contribute to the Georgetown Area’s period of significance. This landscape was designed and the canal prism, lift locks, towpath, and intake features reflect not only the period of significance of construction (1828-1831), but also the period of canal operations (1828-1924) and water intake use (1839-1960). The period of significance also includes the operation of excursion boats (1831 to 1942), as well as the Civil War (1861 to 1865) when the Potomac Aqueduct, hereafter referenced as the Alexandria Aqueduct in keeping with the naming of the feature per the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, was drained and used as a crossover bridge by Federal forces. In association with these periods of significance, there are numerous character defining features including the commemorative obelisk,Wilkin’s Rogers Intake Ruins, and the Thomas Jefferson and 31st Street stone abutments. Furthermore, in the study of this cultural landscape, adjacent developments prove to be important, as they are associated with the period of significance. These features are considered integral to the spatial organization of the canal in Georgetown and are included in the discussion of the development and use of the area of study. This CLI finds that the Georgetown Area Cultural Landscape retains integrity of location, association, design,materials, and workmanship for the identified periods of significance. However, the setting and feeling of the Georgetown section is greatly diminished due to the construction of large-scale multi-use buildings in the area adjacent to the canal. The retention of the constructed water features, including the canal prism, locks, and boat basins, as well as the circulation features of the towpath and bridges, help to evoke the aspects of setting, feeling, and location within the cultural landscape. These features also serve as testaments to design, workmanship, and materials that were used in the construction of these features. The continued rehabilitation of the Georgetown section of the canal, however, has affected the integrity of the landscape as various bridges have been replaced and walls have been rebuilt.

Georgetown Area: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Historical Park, National Park Service

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