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History Happened Here

Erie Canal Harbor

Erie Canal Harbor, America’s Gateway to the West, has been revived and restored and is now open to the public for the first time in generations.  The 184-year-old Commercial Slip has been excavated and re-watered, a replica “bowstring” pedestrian bridge that spans the slip has been built, a re-creation of the wooden Central Wharf put in place and foundations of Erie Canal-era buildings unearthed.  The $53 million heritage tourism site promises to become a must-see destination for American history buffs.

Originally built in 1825, the Erie Canal Harbor served as the terminus for the passage of goods and passengers from the East Coast across the Great Lakes for much of the 19th century. More importantly for Buffalo, the commercial activity fueled by the harbor helped transform the city into a thriving metropolis.

As the culmination of nearly a decade’s worth of effort, the first phase of the historic canal harbor area redevelopment has opened to the public. The project includes the restoration of several unique facets of the original Erie Canal Harbor: the Commercial Slip which served as the historic juncture between the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes; the wooden plank Central Wharf, which stretched from the foot of Main Street to the Commercial Slip; the award-winning Whipple Truss foot bridge, which resembles other traditional canal spans; and a canal era building which houses a collection of naval and military artifacts from the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park.

Erie Canal Harbor is located at the intersection of Scott and Lloyd Streets in downtown Buffalo.

 

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