The Locktender’s House at Illinois & Michigan Canal Lock No. 6 is a historic building that was part of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, a waterway that connected Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The canal was an important transportation route for trade and settlement in Illinois and the Midwest. The Locktender’s House was the residence of the lockkeeper, who operated the lock and maintained the canal.
The house was built in 1848 in Lockport, Illinois, and moved to Channahon, Illinois, in 1850. It is one of the two remaining locktender’s houses on the canal, and it displays some Greek Revival architectural elements, such as a gabled roof, a symmetrical facade, and a central entrance.
It is located near the Channahon State Park, which preserves a section of the canal and its structures. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and is part of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor.
Some additional information about the Locktender’s House are:
It is a two-story, wood-frame structure with a stone foundation and a brick chimney. It measures about 30 by 20 feet and has four rooms on each floor. The house has a front porch and a rear addition that were added later.
It was originally painted white with green shutters, but it has been restored to its original appearance with red siding and white trim.
The house was occupied by several lockkeepers and their families until 1933, when the canal was closed. Some of the lockkeepers who lived in the house were John O’Neil, Patrick O’Neil, John Ryan, and John Dwyer.
It was acquired by the Illinois Department of Conservation in 1965 and was restored in 1976. It is now a museum that displays artifacts and exhibits related to the canal and its history.
The house is open to the public on weekends from May to October, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.