Landsford Canal State Park
Encyclopedia
Landsford Canal State Park is a South Carolina
state park
located in Chester County
, two miles (3.2 km) from US 21. The 448 acres (1.8 km²) park contains the ruins of the Landsford Canal
built to bypass rapids on the Catawba River
using slave labor between 1820 and 1825. The coming of the railroad caused the canal to be abandoned. The former lock-keeper's house contains an interpretive museum. In addition to the canal, visitors also can see rocky shoals spider lilies
that grow on the shoals in the river, and bloom mid-May through mid-June. The park offers hiking, picnicking, boating, and fishing.
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located in Chester County
Chester County, South Carolina
Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 34,068; in 2005 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had dropped to 33,228. Its county seat is Chester.-Geography and climate:...
, two miles (3.2 km) from US 21. The 448 acres (1.8 km²) park contains the ruins of the Landsford Canal
Landsford Canal
The Landford Canal was the farthest upstream of a series of canals built on the Catawba and Wateree Rivers to provide a direct water route between the upstate settlements and the towns on the fall line. It is located along the Catawba River in Chester County and Lancaster County west of Lancaster...
built to bypass rapids on the Catawba River
Catawba River
The Catawba River is a tributary of the Wateree River in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The river is approximately 220 miles long...
using slave labor between 1820 and 1825. The coming of the railroad caused the canal to be abandoned. The former lock-keeper's house contains an interpretive museum. In addition to the canal, visitors also can see rocky shoals spider lilies
Hymenocallis coronaria
Hymenocallis coronaria is a species of the genus Hymenocallis, native to the Southeastern United States. It is an aquatic, perennial flowering plant found only in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina...
that grow on the shoals in the river, and bloom mid-May through mid-June. The park offers hiking, picnicking, boating, and fishing.