Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal History

First authorized in 1772, 15 years prior to the Dismal Swamp Canal, its early history can be characterized as all “acts” and no action. No less than 10 acts were passed in both Virginia and North Carolina over a period of 83 years before construction finally began in 1855.

By that time, however, the Dismal Swamp Canal was firmly established. The state of Virginia owned quite a bit of stock in the canal company and a new canal was viewed as a competitive threat. The man who carefully put the pieces together to begin the canal was Tidewater Virginian, Marshall Parks Jr. Parks’ father had been superintendent and chief engineer of the Dismal Swamp Canal during its first major period of reconstruction in the late 1820’s. The younger Parks had also been an official with the Dismal Swamp Company and was thoroughly familiar with the canal’s problems. He visualized the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal as the answer to more efficient commercial trade between the two regions. The new canal would be wider and deeper than most of others of its day. Parks planned for it to handle the larger steamers and future growth. It would also have only one lock, instead of the Dismal’s then seven, considerably reducing passage time.

Construction of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal was accomplished by seven steam dredges on floating platforms. Had an attempt been made to dig the canal prior to steam-powered technology, it would have failed. The dredges had to gouge the canal out of low- lying mucky ground, scooping up huge tree trunks and petrified logs that lay beneath the surface. When the canal was finished in 1859, it was an engineering marvel. It consisted of only one lock and two relatively short man-made channels, the Virginia Cut and the North Carolina Cut. The single lock, which balanced lunar tides of the southern branch of the Elizabeth River with the wind driven ones of the North Landing River and Currituck Sound, was 40 feet wide and 220 feet long, the longest along the Atlantic coast and the second largest in the entire U.S. The reversible gate heads, allowing ships to lock up or down depending on water levels, were probably the first of their kind. In addition, four times a day when the levels were equal and the winds favorable, the gates were left open to permit clear passage.

The opening of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal gave the Dismal Swamp Canal serious competition. The two coexisted for 54 years, with the Albemarle and Chesapeake carrying most of the traffic. There was only a short period when the older canal stole away a significant amount of the commercial shipping. This occurred in the years following 1899 when the Dismal reopened after being entirely rebuilt at a cost of over one million dollars. The triumph was short- lived, however.

The final blow was delivered when the United States government chose to buy the Albemarle and Chesapeake in 1913. Both canals were considered for purchase, along with building one of the two new routes, as part of the government’s plan to establish a continuous inland waterway as provided for in the River and Harbor Act of 1910. The Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal had defaulted on a bank loan and was sold at foreclosure in 1910. Three years later it sold for only half a million dollars.

Following the sale, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers went to work making improvements, and the Albemarle and Chesapeake was made toll free. For the next 16 years, in a reversal of roles, the Dismal Swamp Canal wavered on the edge of bankruptcy. Finally, in 1929, the government also purchased the Dismal in an act of fairness.

Today, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal is traveled mostly by commercial craft while the Dismal Swamp Canal is frequented by recreational boaters. As a suggestion, try making a two-day trip: up one canal and down the other with an overnight stay in Elizabeth City. This friendly city on the narrows of the Pasquotank River is also an historical treasure. Its location near the Dismal Swamp Canal makes it the major southern trans-shipment point for cargoes heading to and from the Chesapeake Bay along the canal. While there, be sure to stop at the Mariner’s Wharf city docks for a visit with the famous Rose Buddies, the town’s self-appointed welcoming committee for visiting cruisers. The city’s historical district is a short walk from the docks.

Also see: Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal Timeline