Rendering of the completed Phase 1 of the Constitution Gardens project. (Courtesy of the National Mall website)

Today the Trust for the National Mall and the National Park Service broke ground on the relocation and restoration of the Lockkeepers House, which will serve as the ceremonial gateway to the National Mall.

Built in 1837—holding the title of oldest structure on the Mall—the house played an important role in the District’s early canal system and has since borne witness to more than 180 years of history.

“Amid the grandeur of the National Mall, the Lockkeeper’s House is a modest reminder of Washington’s early days and those who helped to build the nation’s capital,” said Gay Vietzke, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks in a press release. “We are excited that through the hard work of the Trust for the National Mall, this historic structure will soon tell their important stories and once again welcome visitors to the National Mall.”

In the early 1830s the structure was was built to house the person who manned the lock connecting the Washington branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to the Washington City Canal. This “C & O canal extension” used to run parallel to today’s National Mall. The lockkeeper collected tolls and kept records of commerce on the canal until railroads became the dominant form of transportation.

The House is currently located inches from traffic at the corner of 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. In about a year, it will be lifted and moved nearly 20 feet from the road to be refitted with an educational exhibit space welcoming visitors to Constitution Gardens. The move is part of the ongoing Constitution Gardens revitalization project.

After renovations, the Lockkeepers House will contain a visitor information plaza and a digital exhibition space that explains National Mall history and as well as the efforts to preserve the Constitution Gardens. In 2012, the Trust for the National Mall in partnership with the National Park Service developed Phase 1 plans for the Constitution Gardens restoration project, which were approved last October. In addition to the House revitalization, this phase also includes a new stone wall and landscape improvements nearby, according to the press release.

“We are thrilled with the work we have planned for the Lockkeeper’s House,” said Chip Akridge, founder and chairman of the Trust for the National Mall. “As the oldest structure on the National Mall, the house has tremendous historic significance that is often overlooked. Once the restoration is complete, we will begin phase two of the rehabilitation of Constitution Gardens, creating the model for sustainable urban parks right here in the nation’s capital.”

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