Raisch Log House and Erie Extension Canal Lock No. 10
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Sharpsville Area Recreation Park (Raisch Log House and Erie Extension Canal Lock No. 10)
Before 1810 log cabin; 1835–1838 canal; 1897 bridge. High St. east of N. Mercer Ave. at Shenango River
The Sharpsville Park contains three structures of interest: the Raisch Log House, moved here from Hermitage Township; the Pierce Lock No. 10 from the Erie Extension of the Beaver and Erie Canal; and an iron bridge over the Shenango River.
The Raisch Log House was disassembled and reassembled at the entrance to the park between 1977 and 1979. It consists of a single room with an opening on every side except the north elevation, where the stone chimney is located. The loft is reached by a ladder.
The linear park follows the river's shore with a foot trail passing through the walls of the former canal lock. The lock's huge sandstone blocks were quarried nearly two miles north of Big Bend along the Shenango River. Each has bold chisel marks, and some of the stones retain the concave portion that held the enormous hinges required to move the wooden gates that once existed here. This is the only extant lock in northwestern Pennsylvania. A replica canal boat and a history of the canal are available at the Canal Museum in Greenville on Allan Avenue. The iron bridge is a pin-connected Camelback truss, built by the Penn Bridge Company of Beaver Falls. While its integrity is excellent, its condition is poor and ultimate fate unknown.
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Location: Sharpsville, PennsylvaniaRegional Overviews:Types:Styles:no metadata availableMaterials:
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Citation
Lu Donnelly et al., "Sharpsville Area Recreation Park (Raisch Log House and Erie Extension Canal Lock No. 10)", [Sharpsville, Pennsylvania], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/PA-01-ME13.
Print Source
Buildings of Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, Lu Donnelly, H. David Brumble IV, and Franklin Toker. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2010, 541-541.
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