Newark Welcomes a Lock of History

After 18 months of restoration the community of Newark will now enjoy a lock of history.

A dedication ceremony Friday morning at The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art and Technology unveiled the newly restored Ohio Erie Canal Lock #9.

"It’s awesome for The Works to be apart of it, just as a history museum it’s all about educating the community, children and adults," said Marketing Director Samantha Harris.  "I mean, it’s important for us, it’s important for the community to really know the importance the county played in the history of transportation throughout the state."

Harris said the idea for the project came about when an old building on the location was torn down and the original lock stones were discovered.

"So the stones that line the side are all original, we did a new lock door and the timber was donated from a camp here in Ohio," described Harris. "There is original iron work that was hand made, so it’s very true to size, it’s true to how the true lock was built."

The lock is open to the public. It’s located in downtown Newark at the intersection of First and Canal Streets.