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Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 52, built in 1851, is located just northwest of the Village of Port Byron, Town of Mentz, Cayuga County, N.Y. It is a double-chamber lock, with the south chamber double-length on the west (foot) end. Whereas, in general, canal waters flow downhill to the east, due to a rise in the center of the state, Lock 52 locked down to the west, thus the usual three overflow openings are on the east end. The lock had an 11.298 foot descent to the west.

The lock is located on the edge of the New York State Thruway. Because of its accessibility and historical importance, the Thruway Authority has turned the lock and the adjacent buildings (owned by the Canal Society of New York State) into a historical center accessible from both the Thruway and the village of Port Byron.

Enlarged Erie Canal Lock 52, Port Byron, N.Y. -- western end, looking east, circa 1935 (Photo courtesy of the Canal Society of New York State).	Enlarged Erie Canal Lock 52, Port Byron, N.Y. in 2014 -- east end, looking west; the New York State Thruway can be seen on the right (Photograph by Tom Grasso).	Enlarged Erie Canal Lock 52, Port Byron, N.Y. in 2014. -- looking into the western end of the south chamber.

Note: For another look at the western end of Lock 52, YouTube includes a video of the western end,
morphing from the view in 2007 to the way the lock looked when it was in use.

The following photographs of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 52 were taken in October 2019:

Western end of Lock 52 -- looking east at the north chamber.	Western end of Lock 52 -- looking east, north chamber on the left, south (extended) chamber on the right.	Western end of Lock 52 -- looking east into the south (extended) chamber.
Western end of Lock 52 -- looking east into the north chamber.	Eastern end of Lock 52 -- looking southwest.	Eastern end of Lock 52 -- looking northwest.
Eastern end of Lock 52 -- looking west through the extended south chamber.	Lock no. 52, Port Byron, N.Y. -- Aerial photo, looking southeast, Oct. 2016 (Photograph by Tom Grasso, courtesy of the Canal Society of New York State).	Lock no. 52, Port Byron, N.Y. -- Aerial photo, looking east, Oct. 2016. The Erie House is at the upper left. (Photograph by Tom Grasso, courtesy of the Canal Society of New York State).
East end of Lock 52, looking northeast, with the Erie House in the background.	Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park -- Aerial photo, looking southwest; Lock no. 52 is in the center, the Erie House is at the bottom right, and the Visitor Center is at the top left -- Oct. 2016. (Photograph by Tom Grasso, courtesy of the Canal Society of New York State).	Google Maps view of Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park -- 2017?.
	In the Spring of 2014, construction of the Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park began, finishing in Aug. 2016. The park was centered on the remains of Enlarged Erie Canal Lock no. 52, which was located at the edge of the New York State Thruway. Using plans designed by the Canal Society of New York State, the Thruway Authority created an exit off the Thruway, parking lots, a visitor center, and paved trails leading to and through the lock and to the adjacent Erie House and associated buildings.
The Visitor Center at Port Byron Erie Canal Heritage Park, Oct. 2019.		The Erie House at the Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Site, Oct. 2019. The Erie House was a combination grocery, tavern and lodging place, with a mule barn and blacksmith shop.