With just one glace of the Monocacy Aqueduct, visitors are struck with the magnitude of this marvelous seven arched structure. Located at milepost 42.2, the Monocacy Aqueduct is 1 of 11 water bridges along the 184.5 miles of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Constructed from 1829-1833, the glistening white and pink quartz sandstone structure is the longest aqueduct along the C&O Canal measuring in at 516 feet. At the time of the Civil War, during the Maryland Campaign of 1862, the Monocacy Aqueduct was nearly destroyed by Confederate General D.H. Hill. However, concerned Lockkeeper Thomas Walter persuaded the Confederate troops that destroying Lock 27 would be far more impactful in their pursuit. Today, the Monocacy Aqueduct still stands thanks to restoration work that was completed in 2004 and continual preservation of this structural gem. (From National Park)
This is where Monocacy River meets the Potomac River:
Construction of aqueduct was necessary for tug boats in the C&O Canal to cross Monocacy River. The aqueduct worked like the highway bridge except it’s for boat traffic.
It is a beautiful structure:
As a retired Civil Engineer I certainly enjoyed the tour this morning!
It’s beautiful and so are your photos of it. 🙂
Thank you, Lynette, yes, the reflection of the arch bridge (aqueduct) was so gorgeous!