![]() The project was delayed for many reasons. But the project proved far more complicated and costly than expected, and the tunnel did not open until 1850, more than a decade behind schedule. The town, the bends, and the tunnel take their name from the pawpaw trees that grow prolifically along nearby ridges.īuilt using more than six million bricks, the tunnel has been described as "the greatest engineering marvel along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park." Located at milepost 155.2, the tunnel served to eliminate six miles of canal and is credited with contributing to the economic success of nearby Cumberland, Maryland.Ĭonstruction on the tunnel began in 1836 and was expected to be completed within two years at a total cost of $33,500. Located near Paw Paw, West Virginia, it was built to bypass the Paw Paw Bends, a six-mile (9.7 km) stretch of the Potomac River containing five horseshoe-shaped bends. ![]() The campground upstream from the tunnel after a Canal Pride Days overhaul.The Paw Paw Tunnel is a 3,118-foot-long (950 m) canal tunnel on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O) in Allegany County, Maryland. The Section House was used by the Superintendent in charge of the maintenance of that section of the canal.īoy Scout troops are frequent visitors to the campground and tunnel. Growden during a 1972 hiking excursion looking out the upstream portal.ġ960 photograph of the Section House at Paw Paw Tunnel. Hiking groups still use the Paw Paw Tunnel as a popular destination for both scenic and historic hiking trips. The large lantern shown on the bow served an important purpose while travelling through the 3,118 foot long tunnel. This 1881 photograph illustrates the recreational aspect of canal traffic through the tunnel. Water worked its way through the tunnel liner damaging the brick and mortar of the liner and towpath as well. Mission 66 crew working on repairing the towpath wall inside the Paw Paw Tunnel. Rock slides have covered the towpath and the railing from the fence has been taken apart.Įven though the canal was no longer in use for boat traffic, locals and canal enthusiasts still visited the Paw Paw Tunnel. Excursionists would stop just outside the tunnel portal to get their photograph taken on top of the portal entrance. The Paw Paw Tunnel was a popular attraction along the canal. Illustration of a packet boat entering the north portal of the Paw Paw Tunnel. Replacement brick for the brick lining used inside the Paw Paw Tunnel.Įarly photograph of the towpath outside of the north portal of the Paw Paw Tunnel. One of the projects taken on by the Mission 66 construction crew was to repair and replace sections of brick that had failed inside the Paw Paw Tunnel.Īpproaching the upstream end, the Paw Paw Tunnel Trail begins to the right of the towpath. Photograph of the Paw Paw Tunnel downstream portal prior to the work done by the Mission 66 construction crew.īikers must dismount before entering the tunnel. ![]() Ranger Danny explains the tunnel’s history. In 1956, this construction crew was busy working on Paw Paw Tunnel. Mission 66 was a National Parks Program that aimed at improving the infrastructure of the National Parks for the enjoyment of future generations. Throughout the history of the Canal, rock slides due to the formation of the shale near Paw Paw have caused damage to both the towpath and the Canal prism. Maybe I'll see you at the tunnel next time it rains.Ī 1956 photograph of the work on the board walk leading to the Paw Paw Tunnel downstream portal.ĭo not let the light deceive you! The tunnel is longer, and much darker, than you may think. I rarely get to share this beautiful experience, because most people don't visit the tunnel in the rain. ![]() In creating this half-mile long man-made canyon, they changed the drainage patterns of the mountain, focusing much of it down over the North portal into what is now known as Tunnel Hollow. When the canal builders created the tunnel, they also carved a long approach out of the mountain on the downstream end. My reward cascades over the downstream portal of the tunnel, a waterfall that flows only when it rains. The fascinating features of the tunnel that usually captivate me - the rope burns in the railing from untold thousands of canal boat tow ropes, the speleothems that grace the sides and ceiling of the tunnel, the hole in the wall that exposes the many layers of brick - all are distractions. It holds one of the best secrets of the canal.Īs I approach the upstream end I listen for the familiar roar. When I'm in Allegany County on a rainy day, I go out of my way to enjoy the tunnel's spectacular man-made natural wonder. Rainy days make me think of the Paw Paw Tunnel. ![]()
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