Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District
historic district in Ohio, United States
Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District is a registered historic district located along the Miami and Erie Canal near West Chester, Ohio. The district includes Lock #38 on the canal, the house once used by the lock's gatekeeper, and several foundation sites from demolished canal-related buildings. The limestone lock was built in 1825-26 as part of the canal’s original construction, which connected the Ohio River to Lake Erie. The gatekeeper's house, the second built at the lock, was completed in 1870; the first house's foundation is still present as well. A mill race links the lock to the former Friend and Fox Paper Company, which established a paper mill along the canal in 1866. Although the mill was destroyed by fire in 1932, its foundations and retaining walls are still preserved as part of the historic site.
The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1978.
The public source identifies “Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District” as historic district in Ohio, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Miami, Erie and Canal.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District”, the useful work is to connect “historic district in Ohio, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6827242. Authority coordinates are 39.325, -84.452. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1825, 1870, 1866 and 1932.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District primary sources, Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District archive and Miami research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Miami–Erie Canal Site Historic District” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.