CANAL OFFICE

Inscription

CANAL OFFICE
THIS DELAWARE & HUDSON
CANAL COMPANY OFFICE
STOOD ON BERME OF D & H CANAL
AT LOCK 31. CLOSED IN 1901.
MOVED HERE IN 1974.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2021

Completed in 1828, the Delaware and Hudson Canal was a feat of modern engineering. Spanning 108 miles, this artificial waterway featured locks, aqueducts, and bridges which traversed the diverse geography of New York State. The D & H Canal passed through a number of communities, including the large industrial community of Ellenville, also home to Lock 31. Located on a berm adjacent to the canal, the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company office was built sometime before 1875. Some sources suggest that the D & H Canal office was multipurpose- operating a telegraph, selling canal transport tickets, and serving as an office for the District Superintendent.

With the sharp rise in popularity of trains and development of railroads, the Delaware and Hudson Canal quickly became obsolete. In 1901 operation ceased, as recorded in a June 30, 1901 edition of The Argus:

On the 6th of July the Delaware and Hudson canal will be abandoned above Ellenville, and on the 26th of the same month it will be abandoned above Alligerville, says the Kingston Argus. This means the practical abandonment above High Falls. From this point it will continue to be used to carry the product of the cement region.

Threatened by demolition in 1974, the community rallied together to save the historic building. A November 1974 edition of the D & H Canal Historical Society Bulletin explains:

Depicted above is the old one-room D&H Canal Office building in Ellenville, New York. It was moved in September 1974 to village-owned land just in time to forestall it being razed. Fortunately several individuals joined together to convince the Town Boards of both the Town of Wawarsing and the Village of Ellenville to take positive action before it was too late. The owner of the building decided to give the building away and monetary contributions were made to provide a foundation on the new site.

As a result of their efforts, the D & H Canal office remained standing, as of 2021, on the corner of Berme Road and Canal Street.