Harpers Ferry
NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
WEST VIRGINIA - MARYLAND
Harpers Ferry, situated on a point of land at the
confluence of the Shenandoah and P o t o m a c
Rivers and d o m i n a t e d by the Blue Ridge M o u n tains, was a beckoning wilderness in the early
1700's. By mid-19th c e n t u r y it was an import a n t arms-producing center, w i t h mills, a r m o r y ,
arsenal, arid other buildings, and a t r a n s p o r t a t i o n link between east and west. J o h n B r o w n ' s
raid in 1859 and the Civil W a r b r o u g h t it into
national prominence and eventual decline.
EARLY HISTORY
National Parks Centennial 1872-1972
The f i r s t settler on the land later called Harpers Ferry was Peter Stephens, a t r a d e r , w h o
came into this then r e m o t e area in 1733. Fourteen years later R o b e r t Harper, a m i l l w r i g h t
and t h e man f o r w h o m the t o w n is named, was
so impressed w i t h the site's natural beauty t h a t
he purchased it f o r his home. Harper established a f e r r y at the j u n c t i o n of the t w o rivers
and later, seeing the w a t e r p o w e r p o t e n t i a l ,
built a mill. The f e r r y and the mill have long
since disappeared.
W i t h i n a c e n t u r y . Harpers Ferry developed f r o m
a tiny village t o an industrialized c o m m u n i t y .
In 1796 Congress, under the urging of President George W a s h i n g t o n , established a gun
f a c t o r y here. The f i r s t arms w e r e c o m p l e t e d in
1801 and by 1810 p r o d u c t i o n had increased to
10,000 muskets a year. The Hall Rifle W o r k s ,
established under G o v e r n m e n t c o n t r a c t in 1819,
t u r n e d out 1,000 breech-loading f l i n t l o c k rifles
— J o h n Hall's o w n i n v e n t i o n —using interchangeable parts. This was the f i r s t successful
application of the principle t h a t led to m o d e r n
mass p r o d u c t i o n .
As t h e Nation's principal c o n s e r v a t i o n agency,
the D e p a r t m e n t of the I n t e r i o r has basic responsibilities f o r w a t e r , f i s h , w i l d l i f e , m i n e r a l ,
land, park, and r e c r e a t i o n a l r e s o u r c e s . Indian
and T e r r i t o r i a l affairs are o t h e r major c o n c e r n s
o f A m e r i c a ' s " D e p a r t m e n t o f N a t u r a l Res o u r c e s . " The D e p a r t m e n t w o r k s t o assure the
wisest choice in managing all o u r resources
so each w i l l make its f u l l c o n t r i b u t i o n t o a better
United S t a t e s — n o w and in the f u t u r e .
National Park Service
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
The 20 buildings t h a t c o m p r i s e d the U.S. Armory on the south bank of the Potomac River
and the m a n u f a c t u r i n g plants on nearby Virginius Island testified t o the t o w n ' s expanding
industrial activity. The development of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the B a l t i m o r e
and Ohio Railroad in the 1830's made the area
an i m p o r t a n t t r a n s p o r t a t i o n link between the
Ohio Valley and the east. By mid-century Harpers Ferry was a g r o w i n g c o m m u n i t y .
J O H N BROWN'S RAID
J o h n B r o w n ' s raid in 1859 c a u g h t the quietly
t h r i v i n g t o w n unawares and p r o v e d an ominous prelude t o the t r a g i c Civil War t h a t followed 17 m o n t h s later. B r o w n , an ardent aboli-
tionist f r e s h f r o m bloody antislavery activities in Kansas, w i t h 18 m e n , attacked the Fede r a l A r m o r y on t h e c h i l l e d , d r i z z l y n i g h t o f
O c t o b e r 16, 1859. They seized several strategic points before the startled t o w n s p e o p l e
realized B r o w n ' s purpose. W h e n the alarm
spread and local citizens and State militia conv e r g e d on the t o w n , the raiders barricaded
themselves in the a r m o r y f i r e enginehouse. A
c o n t i n g e n t of 90 marines, c o m m a n d e d by C o l .
Robert E. Lee and Lt. J . E. B. S t u a r t , reached
Harpers Ferry late on O c t o b e r 17. Early the foll o w i n g day, the marines s t o r m e d the enginehouse, killed 10 of the raiders, and c a p t u r e d
B r o w n , thus ending the short-lived a t t e m p t at
insurrection.
B r o w n was t r i e d in nearby Charles T o w n f o r
m u r d e r , t r e a s o n , and c o n s p i r i n g w i t h slaves t o
c o m m i t t r e a s o n . Found g u i l t y , he was hanged
on December 2, 1859, and his body taken t o
N o r t h Elba, N.Y., f o r b u r i a l . The a b o r t i v e attack on Harpers Ferry increased tensions both
n o r t h and south and f u r t h e r inflamed passions
in t h e already divided N a t i o n .
CIVIL WAR A N D AFTER
The Civil W a r b r o u g h t the near t o t a l destruct i o n of Harpers Ferry's industrial p o t e n t i a l .
W h e n Virginia seceded in A p r i l 1 8 6 1 , a large
body of Virginia militia planned t o seize the
stockpile of guns and the machinery f r o m the
a r m o r y f o r the C o n f e d e r a c y , t h e n badly in need
of arms. The Federal soldiers assigned t o g u a r d
the G o v e r n m e n t p r o p e r t y r e t r e a t e d , but not
before setting fire t o the arsenal and a r m o r y ,
d e s t r o y i n g the muskets, rifles, and m a c h i n e r y .
The Virginia f o r c e s , h o w e v e r , did manage t o
seize vital a r m s - p r o d u c i n g e q u i p m e n t w h i c h
helped the S o u t h t h r o u g h o u t the war and des t r o y e d Harpers Ferry's p r i n c i p a l i n d u s t r i a l
base. Other Confederate t r o o p s w e r e h u r r i e d
to the t o w n but, in J u n e , w h e n they f o u n d it
could not be held against a s t r o n g Union f o r c e ,
they moved out, demolishing the bridge over
the Potomac and d e s t r o y i n g e v e r y t h i n g t h a t
m i g h t p r o v e useful to the enemy.
Harpers Ferry again felt the hand of w a r in
September 1862, w h e n the crucial Battle of
A n t i e t a m was f o u g h t a f e w miles n o r t h of the
t o w n . C o n f e d e r a t e Gen. Thomas J . " S t o n e w a l l "
J a c k s o n , under orders f r o m Gen. R o b e r t E.
Lee to c a p t u r e the U n i o n garrison c o m m a n d e d
by C o l . Dixon S. M i l e s , occupied the s u r r o u n d ing heights and, after a 2-day siege, c o m p e l l e d
the s u r r e n d e r of about 12,700 Union soldiers
and much equipment. The v i c t o r y released
Jackson's t r o o p s t o rejoin Lee at S h a r p s b u r g
in time to stop Gen. George B. McClellan's attack and allow the Confederate army to retreat
safely into Virginia.
A f t e r A n t i e t a m , Harpers Ferry was o c c u p i e d
i n t e r m i t t e n t l y by Union or Confederate soldiers.
M u c h damage resulted f r o m t r o o p movements
t h r o u g h the t o w n and f r o m the occasional skirmishes t h a t s t r u c k the area. The d e s t r u c t i o n of
the c o m m u n i t y ' s industrial life was a blow f r o m
w h i c h it never fully r e c o v e r e d . Many people
w h o had left because of the f i g h t i n g r e t u r n e d
after the war to begin life anew, but a series of
devastating f l o o d s in 1870 and later in 1889
dashed all hopes f o r the t o w n ' s economic revival. Today the old buildings of Harpers Ferry
stand as mute witnesses to the epic events t h a t
once o c c u r r e d in this now peaceful t o w n .
ABOUT YOUR V I S I T
The visitor center, w h e r e you can see exhibits
and obtain i n f o r m a t i o n , is open daily. Hours
vary a c c o r d i n g to season. A w a l k i n g t o u r of
Harpers Ferry and the a u t o m o b i l e route t o
Bolivar Heights and other points of interest
are s h o w n on the maps.
Park trails include the M a r y l a n d Heights Trail,
the L o u d o u n Heights Trail (which connects w i t h
the AppalachianTrail), and J e f f e r s o n Rock Trail.
A picnic area is available on the shore across
f r o m the parking area; only c h a r c o a l fires in
grills are a l l o w e d . Food and o v e r n i g h t accommodations are available in Harpers Ferry and
vicinity.
All rocks, w i l d f l o w e r s , trees, and animals must
be left in place and u n d i s t u r b e d so t h a t o t h e r s ,
t o o , may enjoy t h e m . Gathering specimens or
collecting souvenirs is not a l l o w e d . This prot e c t i o n is a matter of law and of good citizenship and consideration f o r o t h e r s .
Park rangers are here to assist you and to enf o r c e regulations.
ADMINISTRATION
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is administered by the National Park Service, U.S.
D e p a r t m e n t of the Interior. A s u p e r i n t e n d e n t ,
whose address is Box 117, Harpers Ferry, W.
Va. 2 5 4 2 5 , is in immediate charge.
A WALKING TOUR OF HARPERS FERRY
1 . Stagecoach Inn (visitor center). Once housing an inn operated by Maj. James Stephenson, this structure, built 1826-34 and now
restored, serves as the park visitor center.
2. Master Armorer's House. This dwelling, built
in 1859 as the home of the chief gunsmith of
the Harpers Ferry A r m o r y , has been restored
and is now a museum where the story of gunmaking is told.
3. Arsenal Square. Here can be seen remains of
the small U.S. Arsenal and partially exposed
burned muskets, destroyed when Federal forces burned the arsenal buildings in 1 8 6 1 .
4 . John Brown's Fort was the A r m o r y fire enginehouse used by John Brown f o r refuge during the abortive October 1859 raid.
5. The Point, where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet, was the heart of the t o w n
during the Civil War. From here t w o other
States can be seen—Maryland on the left, and
Virginia beyond the first ridge on the right.
6. The Stone Steps, hand-carved at the t u r n of
the 19th century into the natural rock, allowed
access t o the upper levels of the t o w n . Today
they are part of the pathway on your tour t o
the Harper House and Jefferson Rock.
7. Harper House, the oldest surviving structure
in Harpers Ferry, was built by Robert Harper
between 1775 and 1782. Now restored and refurnished in period pieces, it is open t o visitors
in summer.
8. Marmion Row Houses. These three buildings
were erected between 1832 and 1850 and are
part of t h e f o u r s t r u c t u r e s comprising
" M a r m i o n Row." They have been restored t o
the pre-Civil War period.
9. St. Peter's Catholic Church, built in the 1830's
and remodeled in the 1890's, is still in use today. It is not part of the park, but visitors are
welcome during open hours.
10. St. John's Episcopal Church was first built in
1852 and is believed t o have been used as a
hospital and barracks during the Civil War. It
was abandoned at the t u r n of the century and
today only the ruins remain.
11.Jefferson Rock. Thomas J e f f e r s o n journeyed t o Harpers Ferry in 1783 t o view the
splendid scenery and m o u n t a i n s f r o m this
point. He t h o u g h t the view " s t u p e n d o u s "
and " w o r t h a voyage across t h e A t l a n t i c . "
12. The Lockwood House was built in 1848 as a
home for the armory paymaster. In 1867, it became the first classroom and school building
of newly opened Storer College, one of the
earliest institutions to offer higher education
to the American Negro.