The Pennyfield Inn at Lock 22 on the C&O Canal was built in 1879. President Grover Cleveland stayed here on several occasions to fish for bass in the nearby Potomac.
President Grover Cleveland enjoyed bass fishing near here, escaping from the pressures of office while staying at the Pennyfield House. Its folksy atmosphere appealed to the president. Mrs. Pennyfield, it's said once called up the stairs to President Cleveland, "Mr. President, do you want your eels skunned or unskunned?" He preferred them "skunned."Over the years we've watched the old house fall down. This photo from Mary Rubin's 2003 book, shows how it looked in the 1910's.
And here's how it looked in April of 2009:
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| Pennyfield Lock, November 2008 |
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| Pennyfield Lock, August 2010 |
The lockhouse still stands and new signage has been put up.
"If walls could talk then Lockhouse 22 could tell some tales. One might be about President Grover Cleveland who sought refuge from the pressures of the White House by coming here on fishing trips. Or perhaps the lockhouse would tell of one lockkeeper who had too much to drink and let the water out of the lock too quickly, sinking a canal boat and its 113 tens of coal. The stories of a lockhouse are the stories of life along the C&O Canal.The lock gate provides a convenient place for a weary cyclist to take a nap.
"Built in 1832, Lock 22 is nicknamed 'Pennyfield Lock' after father and son lockkeepers, George and Charlie Pennyfield. George tended this lock from 1890-1910; his son Charlie joined him on the C&O payroll in 1900. Charlie was the last lockkeeper to live in and work from this lockhouse. The Pennyfield family remained at the lock after the canal closed in 1924."
It is sad to say that the house no longer stands. It was finally pulled down in 2009. All that is left is a sign telling the traveler what was there. This was demolition by neglect.
ReplyDeleteVery typical of how the government treats old buildings.
ReplyDeleteI lived up the street in the 1960s and 70s. The tenants raised sheep in the adjacent pasture. During Hurricane Agnes the floodwaters rose past the second floor but our neighbors cleaned it up afterwards. It was a beautiful spot.
ReplyDeleteHi Allen and Ruth, I'm researching Lockhouse 22 and who lived there. The tenants are an interesting connection! Is there any additional info?
DeleteNo one lived in the lockhouse for all the years I was growing up. The windows were boarded up. Are you interested in the tenants in the house pictured above?
ReplyDeleteSchroen, There were no tenants in the lockhouse. The people I knew lived in the farmhouse pictured in this post.
ReplyDeleteThank you! That actually answers my question. I knew you were talking about the farmhouse, but I had also read that some of the lockhouses had tenants well past the time that the C&O Canal ceased operations. I think the farmhouse (Pennifield Inn) was on private property, which is striking since it's so close to the canal. Then again, the canal property was only yards wide in some places. Thank you for the reply!
ReplyDeleteI lived there from 1960 on, and from what I was told, no one had lived in the lockhouse for at least a generation before the time I lived there. And yes, the farmhouse was indeed on private property. The last name of the owner was Heirich (sp?). The land was sold to developers in the early 80s and now has many McMansions on it, as you may have noticed.
ReplyDeleteI lived there from 1960 on, and from what I was told, no one had lived in the lockhouse for at least a generation before the time I lived there. And yes, the farmhouse was indeed on private property. The last name of the owner was Heirich (sp?). The land was sold to developers in the early 80s and now has many McMansions on it, as you may have noticed.
ReplyDelete