Lowell, OH

Lowell is a Washington County village on the Muskingum River, about two kilometers north of Marietta. State Route 60 runs through town and State Route 530 heads northeast, while the river, canal, dam, and lock system make the local map more layered than its size suggests. Lowell sits beside the Muskingum's working water history, with Buell Island in the river and the old canal infrastructure still shaping the village.

The river shaped Lowell's settlement from the start. Cats Creek was rerouted when the locks and dam were built, creating Buell Island and changing how water moved past the village. The island now holds Buell Park, the restored Strait Run one-room schoolhouse, a log cabin, ball fields, and other local community facilities. Lowell Elementary and Fort Frye schools serve local students. The local scoop is that Lowell keeps its history in working infrastructure: a village street grid, a river lock, a changed creek mouth, and a schoolhouse moved onto an island.