Erie Extension Canal Museum is honored

The Library of Congress has selected the Erie Extension Canal Museum in Greenville and canal Lock No. 11 in Sharpsville for its Local Legacies project.

The Local Legacies project celebrates the Library of Congress’ 200th birthday. It is designed to document cultural traditions and events of local communities. The library will preserve the collection so it can be shared by future generations.

U.S. Rep. Phil English, R-21st District nominated the two local historical sites in Mercer County.

“The canal and its system of locks were an integral part of the settlement and growth of Mercer County as well as all of western Pennsylvania by making transportation and trade easier,” the Erie lawmaker said. “It’s exciting that something that has left a historical footprint on Mercer County and the state can have its legacy live on in the Library of Congress,” he said.

The Erie Extension Canal played a vital role as the first efficient transportation into northwestern Pennsylvania for settlers and commerce, English said. Great Lakes iron ore was shipped on the canal, which was combined with coal at iron and steel mills — the backbone of the economy during that time. Small settlements along the canal grew, forming new towns, he said.

The museum, at 60 Alan Ave., Greenville, provides the complete history of the canal and includes a full-size replica of a canal boat, which were 50 feet long and 8 feet wide on average. The museum also contains artifacts documenting how canal freighters and passenger boats traveled along the canal.

During the 36-hour trip to Erie, the locks, such as the one at the Sharpsville Area Recreation Park on High Street, would provide a 7-foot lift so boats could navigate the three miles to Lock No. 11. Construction of Lock No. 10 began in 1833 and was completed in 1836 at a cost of $13,780.

The lock, which stands about 9 feet above the ground, is the only complete lock remaining on the system. The lock remains as it did 150 years ago, only the gates are missing.

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