Canal Quarters' Lockhouse 6 is a fully rehabilitated historic dwelling located in the C&O Canal National Historical Park at towpath mile 5.4 near Georgetown and the Capital Crescent Trail. Decorated in mid-twentieth century furnishings, this stone house tells the story of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas' famous hike to preserve the Canal. The award-winning Canal Quarters program allows you to spend the night at Lockhouse 6 and step back in time to live life as a lockkeeper along the historic C&O Canal.
The vision of the C&O Canal has changed and adapted over the course of its history. The canal’s roots begin with George Washington’s dream of a waterway trade route connecting east and west. After its closure in 1924, a second chance came to the canal in the form of another dream, that of Supreme Court Justice William Douglas. Douglas sought to protect this land as an outdoor sanctuary for public recreation. Set in the 1950s of Justice Douglas’ famous hike to preserve the canal, Lockhouse 6 is furnished with objects reminiscent of the mid-Twentieth Century.
Lockhouse 6, surrounded by mature sycamores, is a fully modern stone house with a covered porch and nearby parking. It provides ready access to Georgetown, the feeder canal, and the Capital Crescent Trail.
The Canal Quarters program was conceived in 2007 by the C&O National Historic Park and the C&O Canal Trust as a way to creatively utilize historic lockhouses in the Park so they wouldn't fall victim to the elements, vandalism, or neglect. Additionally, the program met the groups' goal of providing visitors with a completely immersive, self-guided interpretive and educational experience.
Six lockhouses were selected for the program. Each represents a unique interpretive theme and time period which are reflected in panels, pictures, books as well as period furnishings to make the lockhouses comfortable for visitors overnight stays.