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Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 33 -- St. Johnsville, N.Y.

Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 33 is located in Montgomery County, in the Town of Minden, on the south side of the modern canal and the Mohawk River at the end of Dump Road. St. Johnsville is directly opposite on the north side of the canal and river, and the lock is therefore called the St. Johnsville lock. It is a double-chamber lock, with the south chamber double-length on the head (western) end, and had a lift of 6.031 feet to the west. Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 33 was built in 1838-1840, and the south chamber was lengthened in 1887/1888. Only three other locks on the Enlarged Erie were lengthened at the head end owing to the amount of excavation necessary on that end.

Below are photographs of old Lock No. 33 taken in late August 2008 -- click on an image below to see the full-size version.

Interpretive sign at Erie Canal Lock 33 Interpretive sign at Erie Canal Lock 33 Google Map of Erie Canal Lock 33
Interpretive signs at Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 33. Location of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 33 (from Google Maps).
 
Erie Canal Lock 33, eastern end Erie Canal Lock 33, eastern end, north chamber
Lock No. 33, eastern (foot) end, looking west. Eastern end, north chamber,
looking southwest from Dump Road.
 
 Erie Canal Lock 33, eastern end, looking south Erie Canal Lock 33, north chamber, looking west Erie Canal Lock 33, eastern end of the north chamber, looking north
Eastern end, looking south. The dirt ramp on the left allows a visitor to climb the stairs and view the lock from atop the central divider. When in actual use, the stairs would have led down to the water level. North chamber, looking west from within the prism (water channel). Eastern end of the north chamber, looking north from atop the central divider. Note the Mohawk River/modern canal in the background.
 
Erie Canal Lock 33, north chamber, looking east Erie Canal Lock 33, north chamber, looking west Erie Canal Lock 33, North chamber, western end, looking west
North chamber, looking east from atop
the central divider.
North chamber, looking west from atop
the eastern end of the central divider.
North chamber, western end, looking west
from atop the central divider.
In the three pictures above, note the curved grooves which held the metal brackets for the lock gate pivots.
The indentations in the canal walls were the recesses for the lock gates.
 
Erie Canal Lock 33, south chamber, looking west Erie Canal Lock 33, south chamber, looking west Erie Canal Lock 33, western end, looking southeast
South chamber, looking west from within the prism (water channel).
Note the stairs on the end of the central divider.
Western (head) end, looking southeast from Dump Road. The three holes in the end of the central divider were overflow inlets.
 
Erie Canal Lock 33, south chamber, looking west Erie Canal Lock 33, south chamber, looking west Erie Canal Lock 33, western end, looking southeast
South chamber -- looking west from atop the central divider
Left: eastern portion ; Right: western (extended) portion.
Lock 33, western (head) end, looking southeast at the entrance to the south chamber.

A picture of Lock No. 33 when in use is in the Images of the Erie Canal in the St. Johnsville area portion of the Tour pages.


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