Existing comment:
Dam 4:
Dam #4 is one of a series of seven feeder dams along the Potomac River which provided water to fill the C&O Canal. The water in the canal was kept at a depth of 6 feet, the amount needed for boats to move through the canal ditch. Located about twelve miles upstream from Sharpsburg, Maryland and Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Dam #4 was built using timber cribs filled with stone. In 1856 a masonry dam was built to replace the original structure.
In 1909, a power plant was built by Martinsburg Power Company on the West Virginia side of the dam. It continues to produce electricity, partially supplying power to Shepherdstown, West Virginia. |