Beginning in 1815, a water transport canal was opened joining the Potomac river and the Anacostia river, then known as the Eastern Branch. The Washington Canal brought building supplies for construction of many buildings in the young city. The canal was built mostly by Irish stone masons, but much of the labor is believed to have been by enslaved African Americans and freemen of color. The canal stones on display were unearthed as part of the water main excavation for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The canal was poorly maintained and beginning in 1871 was covered over by Constitution Avenue. The illustrations of the canal were by Seth Eastman, a military officer and illustrator, who sketched from the canal site during his visits to Washington D.C. in the 1850s.

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Show me all markers in:  Washington, DC  |  20560  |  District Of Columbia  |  United States of America

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