The Community of Four Locks

The community of Four Locks grew as a direct result of the C & O Canal and the businesses associated with Canal operations. This "permanent" community thrived as long as the canal was operating. Family names of Four Locks included the Florys, Flynns, Snyders, Meyers, Taylors, Fernsners, Bowers, Mouses, Harts, Mosiers, Brewers, and Crawford. At different times, however, two families - the Prathers and the Hassetts - played major roles in the founding and leadership of Four Locks, Maryland.

Most of the land obtained by the C & O Canal Company in the early 19th Century was owned by Samuel Prather. The majority of early deeds in the Lands Records of Washington County refer to lands originally owned by Samuel Prather and condemned by the Canal Company. While certainly not planned this way, Samuel Prather's role as the prominent landowner cannot be denied. One example of this is shown in a brief history of the Thomas Hassett House - the large two-story stone dwelling on Four Locks Road overlooking Lock 47 and the Potomac River...