National Historic Landmark

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The currently operating New York State Canal System (Barge Canal) has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior and National Park Service. This recognition from the highest levels of our nation reminds us once again of the essential role New York State and its waterways have played in our country's development and prominence.

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Lock 17, Little Falls, 1921

The New York State Barge Canal is a nationally significant work of early 20th century engineering and construction that affected commerce across much of the continent for nearly half a century.

NYS Archives, Albany

Canal Map, 1921

Constructed between 1905 and 1918, the Barge Canal is the direct descendent of the Erie Canal and a network of connecting waterways that have been in continuous operation since 1825.

NYS Archives

Steel Barges in Lock 28A, 1921

New York’s canals were enormously successful and had to be enlarged repeatedly during the 1800s to accommodate larger boats and increased traffic. The Barge Canal is the last and most ambitious enlargement.

NYS Archives, Albany

Movable Dam at Lock 12, 1921

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, in partnership with the National Park Service Heritage Documentation Program, NYS Canal Corporation, and OPRHP compiled extensive documentation and an inventory of more than 200 canal structures to nominate the New York State Barge Canal System as a National Historic Landmark.

NYS Archives, Albany

Cayuga-Seneca Lock 4, 1921

The National Historic Landmark district includes the four branches of the state’s 20th century canal system: the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca canals – all much enlarged versions of waterways that were initially constructed during the 1820s.

NYS Archives, Albany

Deep Cut South of Rochester, 1921

The National Historic Landmark district spans 450 miles over 18 counties and encompasses 23,000 acres. It is primarily confined to structures and channels built and maintained by the State of New York for canal operations.

NYS Archives, Albany

Barge Canal Construction Crew, 1917

Italian laborers, recruited in the Old Country and housed in construction camps along the line, formed the core of the workforce during Barge Canal construction. Many stayed and settled, adding new cultural, agricultural, and culinary traditions to communities across New York.

NYS Archives, Albany

Opening Celebration of Waterford Flight, 1915

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor was recognized as an iconic national treasure by Congress in 2000. Since then, the National Park Service has worked closely with the State of New York and local communities to plan and implement preservation and revitalization opportunities.

NYS Archives, Albany

Annual Canal Celebration, Waterford

National Historic Landmark designation further recognizes the canals’ significance, raises community pride, invites new investments, and enhances their status for residents and visitors.

National Park Service

Lock 35, Lockport, 1917 and Today

After nearly a century of service, the New York State Canal System retains an extraordinary degree of historical integrity.

NYS Archives / Terri Cervi

Olmstead Bridges, Rochester, 1921 and Today

What you see today is remarkably unchanged from when the system was constructed.

NYS Archives / Andy Olenick

Brockport Lift Bridge, 1915 and Today

Thanks to the stewardship of the NYS Canal Corporation and generations of dedicated canal workers, the NYS Barge Canal is an enduring public work, available for all to use and enjoy.

NYS Archives / National Park Service