It was considered dÃ©classÃ© to refer to one's own townhouses, estates or villas (or those of friends) as mansions and modern etiquette books still advise that the terms house, big house or great house be used instead.
Waste weir. A waste weir on a navigable canal is a slatted gate on each canal level or pound, to remove excess water and to drain the canal for repairs or for the winter shutdown.
The Erie Canal is an artificial waterway that connects the Hudson River to Lake Erie. This historic waterway, first completed in 1825, is one of the most important projects in the development and success of New York and the United States.