Town Creek Aqueduct at Mile 162.4 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath

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The Town Creek Aqueduct is located at Mile 162.4 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath. There is a parking area at the site. However, it is difficult to reach the aqueduct because the parking area is situated above it on a steep hill, and there is no paved path that leads down to it. See the Locks and Lockhouses web page for an interactive location map.

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A canal aqueduct is a nifty little feat of engineering that solves the problem of what to do when a canal crosses paths with a creek or river. Both are waterways, but the canal is a self-contained channel and cannot temporarily merge with the river because all of its water will spill out uncontrollably. The solution is to elevate the canal over the waterway via a bridge. In essence, a large, elevated bathtub must be built—water cannot be leaking out of the bottom and sides. This is done with a thick layer of clay and stone on the bottom and solid stone walls for sides.

Illustration of an aqueduct–the Catoctin Aqueduct–in use

Construction on the Town Creek Aqueduct began in 1837, but due to financial difficulties, the contractor disappeared the following year. It wasn’t until 1850 that it was finally completed. It is one of the smaller of eleven aqueducts on the C&O Canal, taking only a single arch to span the creek.

Town Creek Aqueduct at Mile 162.4 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath

If you venture onto the aqueduct, you will find that one retaining wall is missing.

Missing retaining wall of the Town Creek Aqueduct at Mile 162.4 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath

From the aqueduct you can see Town Creek and the Green Ridge Railroad Bridge, a short-lived narrow-gauge railroad built to haul lumber from the surrounding area.

View of Town Creek and the Green Ridge Railroad Bridge (photo by Doug Kerr)

The aqueduct marks one end of a watered section of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal that runs between here and Oldtown (Mile 167). It is possible to travel on the canal with hand-paddled watercraft between these two locations, though the water is so full of vegetation that I do not recommend it. The better paddling is done at the eastern end of the canal near Georgetown. See the Paddling web page for more information.

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