The holiday gift season came early this year for a Union archaeology team when it uncovered what is believed to be a portion of the old Erie Canal Lock 1 in Albany.
Two faculty members — Andrew Wolfe, assistant professor of civil engineering, and Dennis Foley, adjunct professor of anthropology — led a team of six that discovered the long-buried lock during a dig in late November. Using old city maps, Wolfe and Foley decided to dig in what is now the warehouse district of north Albany, a few blocks from the Hudson River.
Their discovery consisted of limestone blocks that formed a portion of the 200-foot-long lock and the red brick foundation of an adjacent toll collector's building. Ships entered the lock and water was drained out. As the water level dropped, the vessels settled onto a set of balances that indicated their weight. The ships were taxed based on cargo weight before they made the trip up the 363-mile canal toward Buffalo.
“It was the New York State Thruway of its day,” said Wolfe, who estimated that the weight lock was used from the 1840s until 1918.
“This is spectacular,” Foley said. “If you look at the historical register it says the canal was destroyed from Cohoes south. But clearly it wasn't.”
Wolfe and Foley hope their discovery will add to a growing movement among Albany officials and historical preservationists to restore the 175-year-old canal as a cultural and historic site. City officials were excited by their discovery, noting that preliminary plans for the area include development of a canal that would lead into an inner harbor, a marina, housing, and a train and bus station. One city official said she hoped a “living archaeology exhibit” could be established, where people could peer at the past courtesy of an active dig.
The pit that was opened was filled in after the discovery was made. Wolfe said the team would look for funding to broaden the scope of the dig. Wolfe also is involved in an excavation and restoration project at Lock 23 in Rotterdam, one of the canal's busiest locks. That project may include a museum, a workshop, and a classroom.