Lock 3, Canal lock in Georgetown, Washington, United States
Lock 3 is a stone lock chamber along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Georgetown, Washington, United States. Its two parallel grey stone walls form a narrow, open-top channel that ends at a gate structure, with a bare rock and mud floor holding shallow puddles of water.
The lock was built between 1829 and 1831 as part of the canal's first section through Georgetown. Its walls had shifted inward over time, so workers took the structure apart and rebuilt it using as many original sandstone blocks as possible.
A bronze bust of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas stands at the lock, placed to honor his role in keeping the canal from becoming a road. Visitors often pause near the sculpture before continuing along the towpath that links the first four locks.
Walk slowly along the towpath to see the stonework up close, as the ground can be uneven near the channel. The site is wheelchair accessible, and the flat route makes it easy to reach on foot from nearby streets.
During the rehabilitation, each sandstone block was cataloged, removed, and then placed back in its original position. The wooden gates were also replaced by artisans using tools and methods from the nineteenth century.
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