About This Painting – Conococheague Aqueduct Creek Bridge –
A Historic Crossing
This strategic water bridge, located in Williamsport MD. was built in 1834 near the Potomac River. Utilized by Confederate and Union armies, several attempts made to destroy the bridge during the Civil War were unsuccessful. This bridge would be viewed by Gen. Robert E. Lee, “Stonewall” Jackson, and others.
Sizes and Prices
Signed Limited Edition of 100 (with certificate), Archival Reproduction, Oil on Fine Art Canvas with a greater permanence of 100 years
10″x20″
Unframed: $450.00
Framed: $750.00
A Brief History of the Conococheague Aqueduct Creek Water Bridge
C&O Canal aqueducts are “water bridges” that carry canal boats over creeks and rivers that flow into the Potomac River. Built from 1833 to 1835, the Conococheague Aqueduct is the fifth of eleven such “works of art” on the canal. It consists of three equal 60′ arch spans extending 196′ between abutments.
In August 1863, Confederate soldiers damaged the Conococheague Aqueduct in an effort to stop the canal’s transportation of coal to Georgetown where it was used by the Union. Repairs took four days and the canal returned to operation.
In April 1920, a canal boat broke through the upstream wall of the aqueduct, falling into the creek below. This shut down the canal for over four months. Repaired with a timber wall, this version of the aqueduct functioned until two 1924 floods closed the canal for good.
This article and historical photos are via the National Park Service