Lockmaster's Heritage House Museum

In 1935 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Lock and Dam #10 to improve navigation on this part of the Mississippi River. Three years later, the Corps built two identical homes for the lockmaster and the assistant lockmaster. In 1991, one of the homes was was converted into the Lockmaster's Heritage House Museum to preserve and promote the history of the lock and dam as well as the city of Guttenberg. The house is the last of its kind on the Upper Mississippi River. The museum features period furniture, appliances, dishes and textiles, as well as exhibits about the city's history and the construction of the lock and dam.

By the early 1930s, river traffic had decreased on the Upper Mississippi River. To remedy this issue, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a series of dams and locks including #10 (Lock and Dam #1 is located in Minneapolis), which went into operation in 1937. In 1938, the Corps required lockmaster's to live on site and this is why the houses were built. The Corps rescinded this requirement in 1972 but a lockmaster lived in the lockmaster's house until 1990. The other house was moved north of Guttenberg in the mid-1970s. Recognizing the historical significance of the lockmaster's house, local residents established the Guttenberg Heritage Society in 1991 and leased the house from the Corps. This arrangement continues today. Lock and dam #10 underwent its last major rehabilitation in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the house was renovated between 2020 and 2021.

"Corps of Engineers and Guttenberg Heritage Society to host ribbon cutting at lockmaster house." U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. May 20, 2021. https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/2625360/corps-of-engineers-and-guttenberg-heritage-society-to-host-ribbon-cutting-at-lo.

"History of Lockmaster's House Heritage Museum." Guttenberg Heritage Society Facebook page. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/guttheritage/about.

"Lock & Dam 1." U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Locks-Dams/Lock-Dam-1.

"Lockmaster House closed for repairs." Guttenberg Press. July 8, 2020. https://www.guttenbergpress.com/articles/2020/07/08/lockmaster-house-closed-repairs.

"Lockmaster's Heritage House Museum." Visit Iowa. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.visitiowa.org/business/lockmasters-heritage-house-museum.html.