To mark their 13th wedding anniversary in July, Chris and Vivian Johnson made a trip to the Augusta Canal to affix a symbol of their love at its head gates and water pump station.
“I’d only been there one other time. I never knew anything about the locks,” said Vivian Johnson, whose husband had ordered an engraved padlock online.
Because their anniversary was on a weekday this year, they didn’t go to the canal on the actual date, but the Aiken couple affixed their lock with little fanfare before going kayaking. Her son, Christopher Lewis, snapped a couple of cell phone pictures for them.
Vivian Johnson said she lingered at the site to look at the other locks placed. Some were simple padlocks while others were more ornate in the shapes of lions or elephants. But they all paid tribute to a relationship.
“It’s very touching to see,” she said.
According to a March article in Brides Magazine, the tradition of Love Locks can be traced to a romance tale from World War I-era Serbia and in modern times to a 2006 Italian novel “Ho Voglia di Te” (“I Want You”) by Federico Moccia.
“In the book, a couple affixes a love lock to Rome’s Ponte Milvio bridge to declare their love unbreakable,” the article said.
The March article goes onto list 20 love locks bridges around the world. Locations include Punda Love Heart in Willemstad, Curacao; Pont Des Art in Paris; Hohenzollern Bridge, Cologne, Germany, and the Augusta LoveLock Bridge is number 15.
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For Brides Magazine’s complete listing, visit this website.
Michael Johnson, no relation to Chris and Vivian Johnson, started a Facebook page dedicated to the love locks bridge in May 2012 and began the local trend when he placed a lock there.
A close-up of some of the locks placed at the Augusta Canal. Staff photo by Charmain Z. Brackett 
A close-up of some of the locks placed at the Augusta Canal. Staff photo by Charmain Z. Brackett
Michael Johnson said he’d seen a similar bridge in the Ukraine and was curious about it.
“All of the locks were written in Russian so I couldn’t read them,” he said.
Over the past decade, hundreds of others have followed suit.
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According to tradition, people throw their keys away after fixing the lock in place. Vivian Johnson kept hers, however.
“I wanted to keep mine on a chain and wear it,” she said.
Michael Johnson said people have used a company called Make Love Locks for their engraving, and the owner has seen to it that locks are placed for those who can’t make it onsite to do it themselves.
“He said, ‘You have the prettiest love lock location in the country,’” Johnson said.
The natural beauty in the National Heritage Area combined with the lovely historic structures make the spot more than a location.
“It’s a love lock destination,” he said.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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