04/22/2026
Our season begins on May 11. If you are not familiar with the Lockport Locks and local canal history here is an introduction for you. The Lockport Flight of Five was one of the most ambitious engineering features of the original Erie Canal (built 1817–1825). It was constructed to solve a very specific problem: how to move boats up and down the steep Niagara Escarpment, which rises about 60 feet at Lockport.
Here’s how they actually built it:
1. The basic design: a “staircase” of locks
Instead of one giant lift, engineers designed a series of five connected locks—like steps. Each lock raised or lowered a boat about 10–12 feet, for a total elevation change of ~60 feet.
Boats would enter the first lock
Water level would rise (or fall)
Gates would open to the next lock
Repeat five times
This “lock staircase” concept was cutting-edge in the early 1800s.
2. Double locks for two-way traffic
They didn’t just build one set—they built two parallel flights of five locks:
One for boats going up (westbound)
One for boats going down (eastbound)
This allowed continuous traffic flow, which was crucial for a busy commercial canal.
3. Massive excavation and the “Deep Cut”
Before the locks could even be built, workers had to carve a channel through solid rock near the escarpment—known as the “Deep Cut.”
Thousands of laborers used hand tools—pickaxes, shovels, and black powder blasting
Work was slow, dangerous, and labor-intensive
Much of the canal (including this section) was dug entirely by hand
4. Stone masonry construction
The locks themselves were built from large limestone blocks:
Carefully cut and fitted stone walls formed the lock chambers
The structure had to withstand enormous water pressure
Early hydraulic cement (which hardens underwater) was used to seal joints
These stone walls are why parts of the locks still exist today.
5. Wooden gates and manual operation
Each lock had heavy wooden gates:
Opened and closed by hand using balance beams
Water flowed in or out through valves to raise/lower boats
No electricity—everything relied on manual labor
6. Later expansion and rebuilding
As canal traffic grew, the original 1825 locks were replaced (1830s–1840s) with larger, more durable masonry locks to handle bigger boats.
Eventually, in the early 1900s, they were bypassed by the modern Barge Canal locks—but the historic Flight of Five remains as a preserved engineering landmark.
Why it mattered
At the time, this was considered one of the greatest engineering achievements in the U.S.:
It made the Erie Canal route possible across a major natural barrier
It helped connect the Great Lakes to the Atlantic
It turned New York into a commercial powerhouse
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