Wharton Canal Day

Morris County Historical Society is pleased to partner with local historians and history organizations to present a Morris County Walking Tour Series that celebrates the area’s rich and diverse past. From April through October, join us for nearly 40 guided walking tours that explore almost two dozen communities throughout Morris County, with topics ranging from unique historic districts, downtowns, and neighborhoods to local industries that shaped the landscape, and the individuals who left a lasting impact.

When the Morris Canal was abandoned in the 1920s, many of its locks and inclined planes were dismantled but not completely destroyed. For years, Locks 2 East lay buried until the Borough of Wharton in partnership with the Canal Society of New Jersey began an investigation to determine if the lock could be reconstructed. Now, after years of work, the lock and lock tenders house have been carefully restored. The lock is now in working order and the house is filled with displays and furnished as if the lock tender and his family were still in residence. On this tour we will walk a water-filled section of the Morris Canal to visit the site Lock 2 East that has now been brought back to life. There will be guided walking tours at 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:30 PM starting at the interpretive panels at the parking lot end of the water-filled canal.