History Unlocked

Come aboard the docked canal boat Wednesday, July 16th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm for an evening of learning and socializing, with a special guest speaker, wine and beer, and light refreshments. All proceeds from this series will support Georgetown Heritage’s canal boat and education programs. Purchase tickets here.

The story of a free Black canal worker's contribution to George Washington's Potomac Canal, and the C&O Canal, presented by Tim Hannapel, Historic Chevy Chase.

For the inaugural edition of History Unlocked, Tim Hannapel of Historic Chevy Chase will explore the early history of how "canal-fever" infected early post-colonial U.S. history, including the contributions of an intrepid free Black man, Captain George Pointer, and his family. Pointer was one of the first employees of George Washington's Potomack Canal, hired in 1785, who spent his entire adult life working on that canal, rising to Supervising Engineer in 1816. He piloted President John Quincy Adams to the groundbreaking of the C&O Canal on July 4, 1828. The talk will also explore the early history of the C&O Canal and Georgetown in the 1830s and 1840s.