Great Falls Tavern, C & O Canal Milestone - Great Falls, MD
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 39° 00.031 W 077° 14.875
18S E 305339 N 4319237
These historic milestones tells the distance from lock 20 on the C & O Canal to Washington, D.C. The smaller stone milestone was likely put there when the locks and keeper's house were built in 1828.
Waymark Code: WM4AEW
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 07/29/2008
Views: 58
The C & O Canal was built in the early 1800's and this spot, the lock keeper's house/Great Falls Tavern was one of the favorite stops for folks travelling the canal with goods heading toward the city of D.C.
This markers lies next to the old aqueduct building and the small marker was likely put in when the keeper's house and locks were contructed in 1828. The larger marker was possibly put in at a later date, however, that is only conjecture.
Only part of the tall marker remains and you can read "D.C. 10 M" on that side. On the other side you read "G. 0 M" My guess is that it stands for Georgetown, where the canal begins in a neighborhood of D.C. The 0 must have had another number by it. The other possibility would be that there was an "F" that followed the "G" standing for "Great Falls" which would be the location of the marker, therefore the "O M". This marker is made of concrete.
The smaller milestone reads "D.C. E" and "XIII" so I'm guessing that means east Washington, D.C. is 8 miles from the Great Falls Location. I believe this marker is stone.
Condition: Distressed
Date placed: 01/01/1830
Material: Concrete
Inscription:
Tall milestone: D.C. 10 M G. 0 M
Small milestone: D.C. E XIII
Name of road: Historic C & O Canal
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