Frick's Lock, Pennsylvania

Frick's Lock is an abandoned village, along the also abandoned Schuylkill Canal, in the northeast portion of East Coventry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. This 18th century village outlasted the canal, being abandoned in the late 20th century with the construction of the adjacent Limerick Nuclear Power Plant. Frick's Locks is considered a modern ghost town, and although private property, attracts visitors.

History

Canal era

While some buildings date from the American Revolutionary War era, the village name was a result of the "Schuylkill Navigation" canal. The canal required construction, in the early 1820s, of a set of locks at that point along the Schuylkill River. Locks #54 and #55 [cite web |url= http://www.americancanals.org/Pennsylvania/Schuylkill%20Navigation.PDF |title= Schuylkill Navigation |accessdate= 2008-01-18] were built on farm land acquired from John Frick and village became known as Frick's Locks. The village thrived due to the economic stimulus of the canal. Eventually the commercial canal traffic declined toward the turn of the century and gave way to the railroad. Frick's Locks had become the singular Frick's Lock before the Pennsylvania Rail Road arrived and built a station with the latter name. The canal was filled in starting in 1947. While the railroad eventually declined, the village remained inhabited until near the end of the 20th century.

Nuclear era

In the 1960s, the then Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) began the process of building the Limerick Nuclear Power Station immediately across the river from Frick's Lock. The station went on line in 1986. During the project, PECO acquired all the land around the station site, which included Frick's Lock. There are possibly conflicting stories as to the residents being bought out and relocated near by and one that describes a 48 hour notice forced eviction. In any event the buildings were vacated and simply boarded up. There is evidence that some of the buildings were later occupied by an environmental study company retained by PECO.

Present day

The remains of Frick's Lock consist of some ten abandoned buildings, some dating from the 1700s. Among the buildings is a barn and the original canal locktender's house. The buildings are boarded up, the area is starting to overgrow, and Frick's Lock Road has a gate across it. The property belongs to PECO's successor, Exelon Corporation, and trespassing is discouraged.

Adjacent to Frick's Lock is Pennsylvania SGL 234 [http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/game/maps/zoom_maps.asp?sgl=234&submit.x=21&submit.y=13&rgn=Southeast] . Old Parkerford Road also circles an abandoned distillery.

Ghost town

Because of its reputation as a modern ghost town, Frick's Lock attracts many curious individuals and groups, including ghost hunters. Its isolated location and abandoned status also attracts vandals. The inclusion of the Frick's Lock in the 2005 book, "Weird Pennsylvania", and numerous web photo essays of the buildings have increased its popularity. The web sites have also documented its increased deterioration, including the aforementioned vandalism and the collapse of some porch structures.

The most informative of these websites was done by a local group of ghost hunters called the Delaware Valley Paranormal Association(DVPA). Their website provides visitors with stories, pictures and even video of the ghost town. According to group's [http://www.delvalparanormal.org/frickslock/frickslock.html Frick's Lock page] , the group plans to do an extensive ghost hunt at the location sometime in 2008/2009.

As of March 2008, Frick's Lock remains a hotbed for many thrill seekers and vandals. Interest in the area has grown since a fire destroyed the Lock Tender's House in February 2008. Since then, Exelon has made numerous attempts to clean-up debris from the property and to close-up open wells and open buildings. Vandals continue with their destruction of the buildings.

Police are now attempting to discourage the continued vandalism by citing all unauthorized people found on the property with trespassing.

References

*

External links

* [http://designedbreakdown.com/photo/fricks_lock/index.html designedbreakdown's Frick's Lock page and gallery]
* [http://www.uer.ca/~danb/fricks_lock_ghost_town/ Frick's Lock Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.delvalparanormal.org/frickslock The DVPA's Frick's Lock Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.delvalparanormal.org Official Website of the Delaware Valley Paranormal Association]