1838-1840

Gronauer Lock Remnant

The Gronauer Lock was built between 1838 and 1840 and was named for its lockkeeper Joseph Gro-nauer. The canal had a constant depth of four feet. A wooden chamber called a lock, with gates at each end, let water in and out to raise or lower a canal boat each time it passed through different elevation levels. In 1991, the Gronauer Lock received national attention when highway workers uncovered timbers while working on the construction of I-469 just east of New Haven. About two-thirds of the lock was excavated, including this piece. Although wood is not a desirable building material for water structures, because it speeds up the natural decaying process, it was a readily available material. As long as the wood remained submerged, the timbers would not decay. The accompanying sketches are from the excavation and show the locations of remnants #372 and #393.