Other Facts

The Washington Canal linked Tiber Creek with the Eastern Branch (now the Anacostia River). It was intended to be an economical and comfortable conveyance between the Tiber Creek and the Navy Yard. Benjamin Latrobe was a strong advocate for the canal's construction. By 1810 he was officially appointed the canal's engineer. When the canal finally opened in 1815, it failed to meet his expectations (Latrobe papers).

The canal was only navigable for boats of narrow beam and shallow draft (The City of Washington, 122). Constant silting provided for heavy maintenance. The Canal Company's profits could not offset maintenance costs. This led to filling the canal in the early 1870s.

Early annual reports on capital improvement funds for the City of Washington identify funds for a small group of priority projects, one of which was the canal linking the Tiber and James Creeks (National Register nomination, p. 13). The canal was included among other priorities such as sidewalks, clearing of avenues, major public buildings (e.g., the Capitol, Treasury and War Office Buildings), the President's House, and temporary buildings for government.

Various maps identify the width of the canal's eastern arm as 80 feet.

Sketches and drawings of the canal illustrate it with arched openings (see attached).

A 1901 newspaper columnist remembers the canal: "It must be an old resident of this city who can recall the Tiber in its palmy days, when citizens bathed in its refreshing waters in summer or skated on its congealed surface in winter."

At various points in history, construction workers have uncovered elements of the canal. In 1931 workers discovered piles and dock remains under the IRS Building along Constitution Avenue and other wooden structures in the shape of an old wharf at the nearby Archives site.