Jan 24, 2019 5 min read

The operations building of the former Monongahela River Lock and Dam No. 7 at Greensboro is now probably most easily reached by boat. The wooden-plank bridge that provided access to the facility has deteriorated and is fenced and strung with barbed wire. The unchecked growth of trees and brush will soon make the site almost inaccessible from the land.

The building, also known as the power house, and the lock’s land wall forming the river bank are all that remain of the lock and dam, a facility that operated for almost 70 years and was indispensable to barge traffic on this section of the river.

Built between 1923 and 1926 at river mile 85, just south of Greensboro, Lock and Dam 7 operated until 1995, when it was replaced by the new Grays Landing Lock and Dam downstream. Following the new dam’s completion, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removed the Lock 7 dam and proposed also demolishing the operations building.

Several Greensboro residents, however, had other ideas, hoping to preserve the historic building and use it to attract visitors to the community, once an important river stop known for its production of pottery.

The residents’ efforts led to the corps deeding the property to the borough, which at the time, discussed seeking grant money to restore the building and prepare it for a new use.

“The idea at the time was to make it into a museum,” says borough Councilman Charles Mallory, who was not on council when the building was acquired by the borough.

That idea, however, depended on the borough receiving grants for the rehabilitation work. The borough applied for money, Mallory says, but was never successful in its efforts.

Operating on a budget of only about $70,000, the borough simply didn’t have the resources to handle the project alone, Mallory says. “There’s just no way we could ever have the money to fix that (building) without a lot of grant money coming in.”

Council is now discussing trying to sell the building. “It’s silly for us to keep it and let is sit there and decay when maybe someone can actually do something with it,” Mallory says.

The power house and machinery inside that operated the locks are documented in the National Park Service’s Historic American Engineering Record and are thought to be the last examples of the technology used in lock and dam construction on the Mon in the 1920s.

The machinery that ran the lock operations was all water-powered. Two water-powered turbines beneath the lock house operated a hydraulic system that opened and closed the lock gates. A third turbine ran an electric generator that powered the building and the capstans that pulled barges into and out of the lock chamber.

The building, made of concrete, is 68.8 feet long, 28 feet wide and 32.6 feet high. “With the exception of the flagpole and the name of the lock and dam, there is no exterior ornamentation on the building,” the report in the engineering record says.

One defining feature of the building is the rounded edge of the side facing upriver. This had a “purely functional feature,” the engineering record says, allowing flood water to flow past the building with little resistance.

The building has three floors. The lower level contains the turbine galleys. The first floor, at river level, houses pumps and machinery including a boiler for heat, and the second floor contains the lockmaster’s office, storage space and the hydro-electric generator.

During the years, vandals have broken out all the windows in the building and covered parts of its walls with graffiti. A tree that fell on the roof caused some damage but nothing beyond repair, Mallory says. “The building could still be fixed. It’s not like a house that has plaster walls and things that fall apart. It’s all metal and concrete.”

In the past, the borough has had several people interested in using the house.

Two local men several years ago proposed rehabilitating the building and setting up a vodka distillery inside. But nothing came of those plans, former councilwoman Mary Shine says. She, too, was not on council when the building was acquired.

In addition to being unable to find grant money to restore and maintain the building, the borough faced the problem of trying to obtain additional property near the site to provide parking. Another issue was that the property is in Monongahela Township, not the borough, and there were questions as to whether borough money could be spent on it, according to Shine.

An environmental study, in addition, had to be completed at the property before anything could be done with it – the borough was unsure how much hydraulic fluid or other toxic materials might still be on site.

“It was one headache after another,” Shine says, speaking of dealing with issues involving the building during her tenure on council. “It became more of a noose around the borough’s neck.”

But it would be nice if someone could do something with the building, Shine says. She notes, however, a historic covenant included on the deed might restrict what the borough can do with the site.

Mallory believes if the building is put up for sale, there will be interested buyers.

“There are always people out there who might want it, especially because of its historic nature,” he says. “We’d just like to see someone take it over who could actually do something with it.”