| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Fate of Harpers Ferry was sealed. |
| | A.P. Hill After an exhausting night of dragging 20 cannon along the river and up the ravines to this site on Chambers (Murphy) Farm, General A.P. Hill and his 3,500 men sprang their trap on the unsuspecting Union army. Before dawn on the last day of the battle, the Confederates aimed their cannon at the Union line, only 1,000 yards away. When the morning fog lifted Hill signaled his artillerymen to open fire. Startled but alert, the Federals vigorously returned the fire. But an hour later . . . — Map (db m5894) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — A Dangerous Position |
| | On the dark, moonless night of September 14, 1862, 100 men from the 126th New York Regiment established a skirmish line here. These men were new to the war, having only been in uniform for a few short weeks. After surviving a terrifying afternoon of relentless Confederate artillery fire, these young men were thrust into a dangerous and vulnerable position on the front line. If the Confederates wanted to attack this location, this was a good time to do it. "On Sunday evening, the second day . . . — Map (db m5397) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — A Government Factory Town |
| | Harpers Ferry owed its existence principally to the United States armory, which began producing small arms here in 1801. At its height, this factory produced more than 10,000 weapons a year and employed 400 workers. The armory affected the everyday lives of its workers, both inside and outside the workplace, until its destruction in 1861 during the opening days of the Civil War. To learn about the armory's efforts on behalf of its workforce, walk this short trail along the Shenandoah River . . . — Map (db m18793) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — A Government Factory Town No Longer |
| | The destruction of the armory in 1861, followed by four years of Civil War, devastated Harpers Ferry's economy. Attempts at revitalization included a brewery erected here in 1895. When West Virginia enacted prohibition in 1914, the brewery converted to a bottling works for sodas and spring water. The 1942 flood destroyed this last remaining industry in Harpers Ferry. — Map (db m18798) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — A Moving Symbol |
| | In it really began the Civil War. Here was lighted the torch of liberty for all America… For you this is the most hallowed shrine in this country. Henry McDonald, Storer College president The foundations in front of you mark a temporary site of John Brown’s Fort, from 1895 to 1909. Originally located in Harpers Ferry, the fort was moved four times in 75 years. Entrepreneurs dismantled it and then rebuilt it on location at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. After the exhibition, . . . — Map (db m8318) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — A Nation's Armory |
| | You are standing directly across the street from the main entrance of one of the nation's first military industrial complexes. The U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry, now covered by an embankment of dirt and rubble, produced the deadliest weapons of its day from the early 1800s until the start of the Civil War in 1861. Gutted during the Civil War, the armory was later razed and mostly covered with rubble to make way for elevated train tracks. A stone obelisk on the rise in front of you marks the . . . — Map (db m24919) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — A Perfect Heap of Ruins |
| | Standing here on the night of April 18, 1861, you would have seen billowing smoke as fire raged in the armory workshops upstream. Virginia had just seceded from the United States and Virginia militiamen were advancing on the armory. Vastly outnumbered and unable to defend the armory, U.S. soldiers "set fire to the Carpenter shop & grinding mill, Stocking shop, & the 2 arsenals" leaving the buildings in a "perfect heap of ruins," wrote a local resident. Arriving after the Federals retreated and . . . — Map (db m20520) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — A Position Strong by Nature |
| | In 1862 Union Colonel Dixon Miles thought that the ridge in front of you, Bolivar Heights, was the perfect place to defend Harpers Ferry. However, in September of '62, Colonel Miles and 14,000 Union soldiers found themselves surrounded by 24,000 Confederates led by "Stonewall" Jackson. From the Confederate position behind you on School House Ridge, one of Jackson's officers described Bolivar Heights as "a position strong by nature." Jackson agreed. He had no time for a siege and did not want to . . . — Map (db m5395) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — A Union Predicament |
| | "Do all you can to annoy the rebels should they advance on you...You will not abandon Harpers Ferry without defending it to the last extremity." Maj. Gen. John G. Wool, USA Telegraph message to Col. Dixon S. Miles, USA September 7, 1862 The first large-scale Federal occupation of Harpers Ferry began in February 1862. Despite the destruction of the armory and arsenal the previous year, Harpers Ferry remained important in protecting Union communication and supply lines and in . . . — Map (db m5389) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — A Union Predicament |
| | "Do all you can to annoy the rebels should they advance on you...You will not abandon Harpers Ferry without defending it to the last extremity." Maj. Gen. John G. Wool, USA Telegraph message to Col. Dixon S. Miles, USA September 7, 1862 The first large-scale Federal occupation of Harpers Ferry began in February 1862. Despite the destruction of the armory and arsenal the previous year, Harpers Ferry remained important in protecting Union communication and supply lines and in . . . — Map (db m19005) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Area History |
| | On April 18, 1861 Confederate volunteers occupied these heights. The threat prompted Lt. Roger Jones, in command at Harpers Ferry, to set fire to the armory and arsenal buildings destroying thousands of muskets needed by the Confederacy. — Map (db m5866) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — 5 — Armory Grounds — Meriwether Lewis at Harpers Ferry |
| | The United States Armory was the main reason Lewis came to Harpers Ferry. He needed dependable weapons and supplies to succeed on his mission. The quality of the armorers' handiwork would also mean the difference between life and death for Lewis and his men. In 1803, the armory consisted of ten buildings. Their foundations are upstream and underneath the existing railroad embankment. — Map (db m20481) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Armory Paymaster's Residence |
| | Rank has its privileges. The paymaster, second in command at the armory, enjoyed an unobstructed view of the factory grounds and water gap from the substantial brick dwelling erected here about 1800. Soot and noise disrupted the scene with the arrival of the Winchester and Potomac Railroad through the paymaster's front yard in 1836. The paymaster moved to new, elegant quarters on the hill overlooking the river gap. The government then leased the old structure to armory workers. — Map (db m18664) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Armory Workers |
| | Expanding armory operations in the opening decades of the 19th century resulted in overcrowded and unhealthy living conditions for workers. Families shared inadequate, unventilated housing, while single men slept in the workshops. To alleviate the housing shortage, armory superintendent James Stubblefield allowed workers to erect dwellings, at their own expense, on public lands along the Shenandoah River, "being the only disposable level ground at the armory." In the late 1820s and 1830s, the . . . — Map (db m18797) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Arsenal Square |
| | Two brick arsenal buildings, which once housed about 100,000 weapons produced at the Harpers Ferry Armory, occupied these grounds. Capture of the firearms was the objective of John Brown’s 1859 raid. Eighteen months after Brown’s attack, the Civil War erupted. When Virginia militia advanced on the town on April 18, 1861, an outnumbered Federal garrison burned the arsenal and evacuated the town. The buildings and nearly 15,000 guns were destroyed. — Map (db m12969) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Assessing the Obstacle |
| | Never had "Stonewall" Jackson faced a stronger enemy position. Arriving here on Schoolhouse Ridge on the first day of the battle, Jackson scanned Bolivar Heights (the lower ridge in front of you) and saw a dangerous enemy - 7,000 Union infantry and dozens of cannon stretched across the ridge, ready for battle. He realized a frontal assault would be deadly. After securing Schoolhouse Ridge with his artillery and 14,000 infantry, Jackson labored to open communications with his officers on . . . — Map (db m7843) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Battle of Harpers Ferry — Union Stronghold |
| | (Upper panel): Battle of Harpers Ferry Invasion rocked the United States during the second year of the American Civil War. In September 1862 Confederate General Robert E. Lee launched his army into Maryland - the North. Lee's first target became Harpers Ferry. He ordered "Stonewall" Jackson to make the attack. Here Jackson overcame great obstacles, defeating the Union during a three-day battle and forcing the largest surrender of U.S. troops during the Civil War. His victory at . . . — Map (db m5350) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Battle of Harpers Ferry / Jackson Arrives |
| | (Upper Panel): Battle of Harpers Ferry Invasion rocked the United States during the second year of the American Civil War. In September 1862 Confederate General Robert E. Lee launched his army into Maryland - the North. Lee's first target became Harpers Ferry. He ordered "Stonewall" Jackson to make the attack. Here Jackson overcame the great obstacles, defeating the Union during a three-day battle and forcing the largest surrender of U.S. troops during the Civil War. His victory at . . . — Map (db m23320) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Bolivar Heights Trail |
| | Union and Confederate soldiers transformed these fields into campgrounds full of dingy tents, smoky campfires and boiling kettles during the Civil War. Shouting officers drilled their troops until Bolivar's grass was trampled into precision parade grounds. Cannon shells shrieked during two battles here. Later, somber faces watched comrades' coffins lowered into Bolivar's disturbed soil. Follow this trail to discover the story of Bolivar Heights and some of the people who walked along . . . — Map (db m5319) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Bolivar Methodist Church |
| | This church built in early 1840s was occupied by both Union and Confederate troops for military purposes during Civil War. — Map (db m2943) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Butcher Shop and Boarding House |
| | Factory officials believed a ready supply of meat for the community was "decidedly advantageous to the interests of the armory." As a result, the armory permitted local businessman Philip Coons to erect a large butcher shop and smoke-house, as well as a substantial stone boarding house, here on government land in the mid-1820s. When the U.S. purchased the buildings in 1863, the boarding house became workers' housing, while Coons continued to lease the butcher shop. — Map (db m18792) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — By the aid of these machines... |
| | Beneath your feet lie the foundations of the Smith and Forging Shop. The largest building in the armory, it reflected changing methods of manufacturing. In the armory's early days, gun making was slow and labor intensive. Armorers worked in small workshops handcrafting one gun at a time. Then in 1819, while working in Harpers Ferry, inventor John Hall developed machine-made weapons with interchangeable parts. He boasted that "one boy by the aid of these machines can perform more work than ten . . . — Map (db m23444) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — No. 1 — Capture of Harpers Ferry — No. 1 |
| | September 15, 1862 No. 1On September 10, 1862 General R. E. Lee Commanding the Army of Northern Virginia then at Frederick Md. set three columns in motion to capture Harper’s Ferry. Maj. Gen L. McLaws with his own Division and that of Maj. Gen. R. H. Anderson, marched through Middletown and Brownsville Pass into Pleasant Valley. On the 12th, the Brigades of Kershaw and Barksdale ascended Maryland Heights by Solomon’s Gap, moved along the crest and, at nightfall were checked by the Union . . . — Map (db m2579) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — No. 2 — Capture of Harpers Ferry — No. 2 |
| | September 15, 1862 No. 2 Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, with his own Division and those of Maj. Gen. A. P. Hill and R. S. Ewell, left Frederick on the morning of September 10 and passing through Middletown and Boonsboro crossed the Potomac at Williamsport, 21 miles north of this. On the afternoon of the 11th, Hill’s Division took the direct road to Martinsburg and bivouacked near it. Jackson’s and Ewell’s Divisions marched to North Mountain Depot on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad seven . . . — Map (db m2728) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — No. 3 — Capture of Harpers Ferry — No. 3 |
| | September 15, 1862 No. 3 Col. Dixon S. Miles, Second U. S. Infantry, commanded the Union forces at Harpers Ferry. After Gen. White joined from Martinsburg, September 12 and Col. Ford from Maryland Heights on the 13th, Miles had about 14,200 men. On the morning of the 14th, the greater part of this force was in position on Bolivar Heights 15/8 miles west, its right resting on the Potomac, its left near the Shenandoah; Artillery distributed on the line. Artillery and a small force of . . . — Map (db m2914) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — No. 4 — Capture of Harpers Ferry — No. 4 |
| | September 15, 1862 No. 4 In the afternoon of the 14th Jackson's Division advanced its left, seized commanding ground near the Potomac and established Artillery upon it. Hill's Division moved from Halltown obliquely to the right until it struck the Shenandoah, then pushed along the river; the advance, after some sharp skirmishing late in the night gained high ground upon which were placed five Batteries. Commanding the left rear of the Union line. Ewell's Division advanced through Halltown . . . — Map (db m2921) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — No. 5 — Capture of Harpers Ferry — No. 5 |
| | September 15, 1862 No. 5 Capture of Harpers Ferry September 15, 1862 No. 5 At daylight, September 15, three Batteries of Jackson's Division delivered a severe fire against the right of the Bolivar Heights defense. Ewell's Batteries opened from School House Hill in front. Hill's five Batteries on ground commanding the left of the line and the 10 guns across the Shenandoah poured an accurate enfilade fire upon the left and rear of Miles' defenses. The Artillery on Loudoun Heights and . . . — Map (db m2922) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Casualties of Time |
| | Over two dozen armory workers' dwellings, ranging from modest frame cottages to substantial stone and brick houses, once fronted Shenandoah and Hamilton streets. The wood houses disappeared around mid-century, victims of fire and demolition. The government sold the remaining dwellings in 1852 to armory employees and others in an effort to secure a stable, land-owning workforce. Buildings along the Shenandoah River proved extremely vulnerable to flooding. During the devastating 1870 flood, all . . . — Map (db m18799) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Casualties of War |
| | "...We enter the barren wast of Bolivar Heights...a windswept deserted moorland...except its populous graveyard." James E. Taylor, war correspondent Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper August 10, 1864 Military discipline for desertion seldom resulted in execution during the Civil War. But in the last months of the war, two Union deserters suffered this fate on Bolivar Heights. William Loge, convicted of "being a deserter ... bushwhacker, murderer and assassin," was hanged . . . — Map (db m5355) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Closing the Doors |
| | Resting with his troops in Frederick, Maryland, 20 miles northeast of here, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had hoped the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry would abandon its post when he invaded the North. They did not. Lee decided to attack. He divided his army into four columns, sending three to seize the three mountains overlooking Harpers Ferry. On the first day of the battle, the Confederates captured Loudoun Heights, south of the Shenandoah River. North of the Potomac, Union forces . . . — Map (db m5351) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Confederate Victory |
| | "The Rebels were all around us and our only refuge was the open canopy of heaven." Sgt. Charles E. Smith 32nd Ohio Infantry September 14, 1862 Thousands of Federal soldiers huddled in ravines on Bolivar Heights to escape the Confederate shells of September 14, 1862. By evening, the Federals were demoralized. Pvt. Louis B. Hull of the 60th Ohio Infantry wrote in his diary at sunset: "All seem to think that we will have to surrender or be cut to pieces." By 8:00 a.m. on . . . — Map (db m5387) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Confederate Victory |
| | "The Rebels were all around us and our only refuge was the open canopy of heaven." Sgt. Charles E. Smith 32nd Ohio Infantry September 14, 1862 Thousands of Federal soldiers huddled in ravines on Bolivar Heights to escape the Confederate shells of September 14, 1862. By evening, the Federals were demoralized. Pvt. Louis B. Hull of the 60th Ohio Infantry wrote in his diary at sunset: "All seem to think that we will have to surrender or be cut to pieces." By 8:00 a.m. on . . . — Map (db m19006) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Confederates Converge |
| | Confederate General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North hinged on eliminating the Harpers Ferry garrison. To do so Lee devised Special Orders 191. He divided his force of 40,000 into four parts. Three columns marched from near Frederick, Maryland, 22 miles northeast of here, to seize the three mountains surrounding Harpers Ferry. The fourth moved north and west toward Hagerstown. Following victory at Harpers Ferry, Lee intended to reunite his army and continue the invasion into . . . — Map (db m7839) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Cotton Mill |
| | Once the largest building on Virginius Island, this 1848 four-story brick structure sported steam heat and gas lighting and boasted the latest machinery for making "yard-wide sheeting and shirting at less than Baltimore prices." The cotton mill operated under various owners until just prior to the Civil War. After the war, the new partnership of Child & McCreight converted the factory into a flour mill. Business at the flour mill lagged. Production was first disrupted by the 1870 flood. The . . . — Map (db m18812) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Daring Escapes |
| | The boat ramp in front of you was the site of two daring escapes in the Battle of Harpers Ferry. Under the cover of darkness, 1,400 Union cavalrymen fled on horseback down the ramp. crossing a pontoon bridge into Maryland on September 14, 1862. The next day Confederates captured the remaining 12,500 Union soldiers. Among them were free black laborers, working for Union Colonel William Trimble's regiment.
Here at this ramp Confederate soldiers began dragging the free black laborers away. . . . — Map (db m20532) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Destined for Antietam |
| | Text of the marker is arranged to illustrate the movements of the Confederate Army during the Antietam Campaign of 1862: September 10, 1862 from Frederick, Maryland Confederate commander Lee sends part of his army to capture Harpers Ferry, while he waits in Maryland to advance on Pennsylvania. Jackson September 13 Maryland Heights, MD Confederates force Union soldiers off Maryland Heights. September 13 Jackson arrives here on Schoolhouse Ridge, surrounding the Union . . . — Map (db m7865) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Early Travel |
| | Situated in a gap of the Blue Ridge Mountains and at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, Harpers Ferry, from its beginning, functioned as a natural avenue of transportation. The first mode of travel consisted of a primitive ferry established in 1733 by Peter Stephens. Stephens sold his business to Robert Harper in 1747, and Harper and others carried settlers and supplies across the waters until 1824 when a bridge constructed across the Potomac made ferryboat operations . . . — Map (db m12058) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Facing the Enemy |
| | Union Commander Dixon Miles knew the Confederates were coming. His cavalry reported the Southern troops advancing from three different directions. Ordered to "hold Harpers Ferry until the last extremity." Miles divided his forces to retain Maryland Heights - the highest mountain - and to defend Bolivar Heights - the longest ridge. As Miles watched "Stonewall" Jackson's 14,000 men spread across Schoolhouse Ridge, word arrived that Miles's soldiers had lost the fight for Maryland Heights. Bolivar . . . — Map (db m5322) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Fake Attack - September 14th |
| | "Stonewall" Jackson understood the principle of military deception. On the second evening of the battle, he used deception here. To lure the Union attention away from the south end of Bolivar Heights, Jackson faked an attack against the north end of the heights in front of you. Using darkness to disguise the deceit, the Stonewall Division marched forward from near this location, creating a commotion that successfully distracted the Federals from Jackson's real advance, one mile to the south. . . . — Map (db m7866) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Federal Armory |
| | In an effort to increase the number of small arms for defense of the United States, George Washington established a Federal armory here in 1794. The rivers provided power for the machinery; surrounding mountains provided iron ore for gun barrels and hardwoods for charcoal and gun stocks. In 60 years, the armory manufactured more than 500,000 muskets, rifles, and rifle-muskets. At its peak in 1850, the armory employed over 400 workers. In 1861, Southern forces transported the captured armory . . . — Map (db m12964) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — First Major Action |
| | On Sept. 13, 1862 Stonewall Jackson’s forces approaching from the west were shelled by 2 Union artillery guns under Col. Miles from this position. On Sept. 14, Gen. A.P. Hill outflanked these Union troops while Jackson swept past this location. Col. Miles surrendered over 11,000 men and valuable military stores on Sept. 15. He was killed by a stray shot. — Map (db m5856) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Five Rounds into the Darkness |
| | The 115th New York Regiment, young and inexperienced, formed a skirmish line here. When gunfire erupted on their left during the night, the men of the 115th must have felt the rush of adrenaline through their veins. Dander was headed in their direction. There was not time to think. For all they knew, a full-scale attack had begun and they were protected only by the darkness. "Sharp musketry began on our extreme left, it came rapidly toward us and soon we to were blazing away. We fired five . . . — Map (db m7816) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Floods |
| | Waterpower built this town, and the power of the water eventually destroyed it. The destruction of the Federal Armory during the Civil War began the town's decline. Many people who had left Harpers Ferry during the war did return, only to be driven away again - and this time permanently - by the devastating flood of 1870 and those that soon followed. Harpers Ferry never fully recovered. — Map (db m12982) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Fortifying Bolivar Heights |
| | "...the heights became dotted with tents, and at night...the neighboring hills were aglow with hundreds of watchfires..." Joseph Barry, Harpers Ferry resident October 1862 After the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, General Lee withdrew his Confederate army back into Virginia. Instead of pursuing Lee, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan reoccupied the Harpers Ferry area with nearly 60,000 soldiers. While McClellan paused to reorganize and re-equip his army, President . . . — Map (db m5367) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Found Underground |
| | The ground around you hides the remains of the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry. Beneath the surface archeologists discovered walls, floors, pipes, and the base of a massive 90-foot chimney. As the team slowly and painstakingly excavated small pits throughout the site, the uncovered over 28,000 artifacts - some in almost pristine condition - providing a glimpse into the past. Artifacts found her include (clockwise): a bone-handled toothbrush, and apothecary's weight, a carved pipe bowl, a file . . . — Map (db m21124) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — From Skirmish Line to Burial Ground |
| | Some of the Union infantrymen who defended this ground on the night of September 14th returned the next day. Even though the Confederate strategy had won the battle for Harpers Ferry, and these Union soldiers were part of the largest surrender of United States troops in American history, these particular soldiers had unfinished business here. "Went to the foot of the hill to bury Disbrow, was shot in the head the knight before. Sad time. We buried him with overcoat and blanket wrapped . . . — Map (db m5398) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Gun Position #6 |
| | This gun protected the south end of the fort and was positioned to fire on flank movements. An outside picket trench, which can be seen ahead of the main embankment, protected the artillery crew. — Map (db m5879) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Harper Cemetery |
| | Passing through this region in 1747, Robert Harper — a Pennsylvania architect contracted to build a Quaker church in the Shenandoah Valley — was so impressed by the beauty of this place and the water-power potential of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers that he settled here and founded Harpers Ferry.
When Harper died in 1782, there were only three houses in the town. Optimistic about the community's potential for growth, however, Harper had set aside this 4-acre cemetery. . . . — Map (db m10203) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Harper House |
| | From this vantage point, a succession of early residents watched Harpers Ferry grow from a tiny village into a thriving industrial community. In 1775, town founder Robert Harper chose this hillside for his family home because it lay safely above the flood line, commanded a spectacular view, and offered unlimited native stone for building. Harper never resided here, however, because he died before the building's completion. The Harper House is the oldest surviving structure in Harpers Ferry. . . . — Map (db m18753) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — 7 — Harper House Tavern — Meriwether Lewis at Harpers Ferry |
| | The Harpers House was near the end of a 20-year run as the only tavern in Harpers Ferry when Lewis arrived. Thomas Jefferson may have been among the first guests to stay here in 1783. If Lewis rented a room in 1803, he was among the last travelers to seek shelter here. — Map (db m18754) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Harpers Ferry — Prize of War |
| | “It may be said with truth that no spot in the United States experienced more of the horrors of war.” – Joseph Barry, Harpers Ferry resident Trapped on the border between North and South, Harpers Ferry changed hands eight times during the Civil War. Because of its position on the Potomac River—an international boundary for four years from 1861 to 1865—the town’s industries were destroyed, its buildings were abandoned, its mountains were raped, and the . . . — Map (db m23188) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Harpers Ferry / John Brown’s Fort |
| | (West Facing Side): Harpers Ferry Named for Robert Harper, who settled here in 1747 and operated ferry. Site purchased for Federal arsenal and armory in 1796. John Hall first used interchangeable gun parts here. Travel route thru Blue Ridge gap, and river, canal, and railroad connections added growth. John Brown's raid and Civil War brought national attention. Post-war site of Storer College for blacks, and National Park, created in 1944. (East Facing Side): John Brown's . . . — Map (db m2940) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Harpers Ferry National Historical Park |
| | (First Panel): Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is the story of... Industrial Development and the production of weapons at the Harpers Ferry armory. John Brown's Raid and his attempt to end slavery. The Civil War with Union and Confederate armies fighting over this border area for four years. Black History from slavery to Storer College - chartered to educate men and women of all races, it became one of the first institutions of higher learning for Black Americans. Explore . . . — Map (db m19008) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Hayward Shepherd |
| | On the night of October 16, 1859, Heyward Shepherd, and industrious and respected Colored freeman, was mortally wounded by John Brown's raiders in pursuance of his duties as an employee of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. He became the first victim of this attempted insurrection.
This boulder is erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of Confederate Veterans as a memorial to Heyward Shepherd, exemplifying the character and faithfulness of thousands of Negroes who, . . . — Map (db m10482) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Head Gates and Inner Basin |
| | These brick-lined archways, or "head gates," built around 1850, once controlled much of the island's waterpower. From here, a "wing dam" extended across the Shenandoah River, funneling water through the arches and into the inner basin. A gate at the opening of each arch controlled the flow. After passing through the head gates, the water was stored in the inner basin until dispersed via raceways and tunnels to the mills and factories. Over time, silt and sand accumulated and eventually filled the basin. — Map (db m18949) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — High Street in 1886 |
| | (Photo of High Street in 1886) — Map (db m18787) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Historic Heights |
| | Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of the Potomac and the Shenandoah Rivers, Harpers Ferry thrived as an industrial community during the first half of the 19th century. By 1860, nearly 3,000 residents lived in the Harpers Ferry area and its Federal armory produced more than 10,000 weapons per year. Defending Harpers Ferry proved strategically important to both North and South when the civil war erupted in 1861. To occupy and defend this border area, a military . . . — Map (db m5316) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — History in the Mountains |
| | "I will pledge myself that there is not a spot in the United States which combines more or greater requisites...."
George Washington May 5, 1798 Harpers Ferry's history and geography have influenced each other for more than 250 years. Early settlers crossed these mountains and operated ferries across the rivers. George Washington, impressed with the area's natural resources, convinced Congress to establish a U.S. armory and arsenal here. The Potomac and Shenandoah . . . — Map (db m12065) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Holy Ground |
| | Here on the scene of John Brown’s martyrdom we reconsecrate ourselves, our honor, our property to the final emancipation of the race which John Brown died to make free… Thank God for John Brown!... and all the hallowed dead who died for freedom! W.E.B. Du Bois, Niagara Movement general secretary and NAACP founding member On August 17, 1906, members of the Niagara Movement walked silently past where you are standing. One of the first modern civil rights organizations in America, the . . . — Map (db m8316) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Home Becomes Battlefield |
| | The Civil War affected not only the soldiers who fought but the families whose homes and towns became battlefields. Edmund H. Chambers bought this farm in 1848 and lived here with his family until the Civil War. Although Chambers was a loyal Unionist, the Union confiscated his farm in 1862, forcing the family from their home. The U.S. Army arranged for an appraisal of the farm in the event of damage. At the war’s end Chambers found the property destroyed and filed a claim demanding restitution. . . . — Map (db m5885) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — 6 — Home of Joseph Perkins — Armory Superintendent — Meriwether Lewis at Harpers Ferry |
| | Armory Superintendent Joseph Perkins lived in a converted warehouse on this spot from 1801-1806. The day Lewis arrived, March 16, 1803, he hand-delivered a letter from the Secretary of War directing Perkins to provide "arms & iron work... with the least possible delay." Lewis may have stayed here while he was in Harpers Ferry. — Map (db m18804) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — 1 — Home of Samuel Annin — Armory Paymaster — Meriwether Lewis at Harpers Ferry |
| | The U.S. Armory Paymaster's house stood here. Completed in 1802 as a home for the armory's senior administrator, this building was probably the best house in town when Meriwether Lewis arrived in 1803. Lewis may have stayed here and he certainly accounted for his supplies with Paymaster Samuel Annin. — Map (db m18662) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — House Ruins |
| | An island entrepreneur or owner likely resided in this 2 1/2-story house which once stood on this foundation. Owners and workers both resided on the island. Other dwellings included four large 2-story structures, five 2-story brick tenements, and five 1 1/2-story wooden cottages. The 1850 census reveals about 200 people living on Virginius Island. Only ruins remain of their homes. — Map (db m18951) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Infantry Positions |
| | Infantry troops occupied positions along these fortifications. The low height of the earth embankment at this location permitted the defending troops easy passage to and from the abatis without exposure. — Map (db m5878) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Island Access |
| | Bridges spanning the canal, like the one to your left, provided access from the island to the mainland for residents and factory workers. During floods, they were paths to safety. To delay departure could spell disaster, as in 1870, when swiftly rising water swept away all avenues to higher ground. — Map (db m18987) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Island Mills |
| | Sounds of turning mill wheels and workers filling bags with freshly ground flour once filled the air here. The foundation of Island Mills, one of the earliest (1824) industries on the island, lies before you. Each fall the railroad brought wheat here from the Potomac and Shenandoah valleys to be ground into flour, packed into barrels, and shipped east to Baltimore. Fire destroyed the original mill in 1839. Construction of a larger 3 1/2-story stone building followed the next year on the same . . . — Map (db m18983) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Jackson at Harpers Ferry — The Stonewall Brigade |
| | As you explore Jefferson County’s Civil War sites, you will learn about some of the notable exploits on the native soil of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, one of the wars most famous figures. Jackson was born in Clarksburg, Virginia (now West Virginia). He graduated from West Point and distinguished himself in the Mexican-American War. He left the army to become the Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and Instructor of Artillery at the Virginia Military Institute in . . . — Map (db m59416) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Jefferson County / State of Maryland |
| | (East Facing Side): Jefferson County Formed in 1801 from Berkeley. Named for Thomas Jefferson. Home of Generals Gates, Drake, and Charles Lee. Here four companies of Washington's men organized. Shepherdstown was strongly urged as the seat of the National Capital. (West Facing Side): State of Maryland Named for Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I, who gave a royal charter to Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore, in 1632. First settlement at St. Mary's City in . . . — Map (db m2947) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Jefferson Rock |
| | "On your right comes up the Shenandoah, having ranged along the foot of the mountain a hundred miles to seek a vent. On your left approaches the Patowmac [Potomac], in quest of a passage also. In the moment of their junction they rush together against the mountain, rend it asunder, and pass off to the sea....This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic." This is how Thomas Jefferson described the view from here during a visit to Harpers Ferry in 1783. Around 1860, the U.S. armory . . . — Map (db m10662) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — 8 — Jefferson Rock — Meriwether Lewis at Harpers Ferry |
| | Twenty years before Lewis came to town, his mentor, Thomas Jefferson, wrote about the view from this rock. Jefferson's comments on the landscape were published in Notes on the State of Virginia. That book provided a model for Lewis as he recorded his observations of the west. As Lewis gathered supplies here, did he follow in the footsteps of his mentor and take in this view? — Map (db m18791) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — John Brown |
| | Here John Brown aimed at human slavery a blow that woke a guilty nation. With him fought seven slaves and sons of slaves. Over his crucified corpse marched 200,000 black soldiers and 4,000,000 freedmen singing “John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave but his soul goes marching on!” In gratitude this tablet is erected the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People May 21, 1932 — Map (db m12952) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — John Brown Fort |
| | Here is a building with a curious past. Since its construction in 1848, it has been vandalized, dismantled, and moved four times - all because of its fame as John Brown's stronghold. The Fort's "Movements" 1848 Built as fire-engine house for U.S. Armory. 1859 Serves as stronghold for John Brown and his raiders. 1861-1865 Escapes destruction during the Civil War (only armory building to do so), but it is vandalized by souvenir-hunting Union and Confederate soldiers and later travelers. . . . — Map (db m4420) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — John Brown Monument |
| | Commemorated here is the original location of the "John Brown Fort"--the Federal Armory's fire engine house where abolitionist John Brown and his raiders were captured by the U.S. Marines on October 18, 1859. If you look to the south, you will see the Fort about 150 feet from here. The Fort was first moved in 1891 and its original foundation covered by the railroad in 1892. — Map (db m10900) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — John Brown's Last Stand |
| | You are in the line of fire. The stone marker in front of you identifies the original site of the armory fire engine house - now known as John Brown's Fort. Barricaded inside the fort, abolitionist John Brown and his men held off local militia and U.S. Marines for three days in October 1859. Brown's men fired from inside the fort at militiamen and townspeople who shot back from positions around you. Finally, U.S. Marines stormed past where you stand, battered down the door, and captured Brown . . . — Map (db m23413) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Jonathan Child House |
| | Jonathan and Emily Child owned the house that once stood on this foundation. Along with partner John McCreight, Child bought Virginius Island from Abraham Herr after the Civil War and moved here with his family in 1867. Three years later, on September 30, a violent flood trapped his family in this house. Mrs. Child gave this chilling description of the ordeal in a letter to her mother: "Last Friday toward evening the water commenced rising rapidly. Before two hours every way of escape was . . . — Map (db m18982) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Keyes Gap |
| | Formerly Vestal’s Gap. Historic gateway through the Blue Ridge into Shenandoah Valley. It was oftern used by Washington and by armies of the Blue and Gray, 1861–65. Here passed part of Braddock’s army, 1755, en route to Fort Duquesne. — Map (db m981) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Large Arsenal |
| | Serious problems plagued the weapons stored in this two-story structure built in 1799. Floods and high humidity posed constant threats. Sparks from wood-burning locomotives presented a fire hazard. Inadequate storage space caused overcrowding and improper maintenance. United States troops burned the structure in 1861 during the Civil War to prevent its seizure by Virginia forces, but later reroofed it and used it as a bakery to produce soft bread for Union troops operating in the Shenandoah Valley. — Map (db m18691) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — 3 — Large Arsenal Foundation — Meriwether Lewis at Harpers Ferry |
| | Completed in 1800, the 2 1/2-story, brick arsenal building stored weapons made for the security and survival of a young United States of America. Lewis procured 15 rifles from this stockpile. They were the first and most essential weapons his soldiers needed to survive on their wilderness journey. — Map (db m18752) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Lewis and Clark |
| | Meriwether Lewis arrived March 16, 1803. Oversaw building of collapsible iron framed, skin-clad boat and acquired supplies, tomahawks, and rifles. Left for Pennsylvania on April 18; returned July 7 to gather materials and left next day for Pittsburgh. Followed Ohio to Falls; met William Clark for trip to explore and study land, waterways, animal life, natural features and resources of West. — Map (db m2149) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Lockwood House |
| | With its commanding view of Harpers Ferry and the Potomac River gap, this house has witnessed significant chapters in Harpers Ferry's history. It was built in 1847 as quarters for the U.S. Armory paymaster and later served as headquarters for Union Generals Henry H. Lockwood and Philip H. Sheridan during the Civil War. After the war, Storer Normal School (later college) - one of America's first schools for freed slaves - began here, and for almost a century Black students and Freewill Baptist . . . — Map (db m10180) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Market House |
| | Armory workers purchased fresh vegetables, meat, and fish every Wednesday and Saturday here at the Market House. Constructed by the government near mid-century, the building that once stood here architecturally resembled the refurbished armory buildings along the Potomac. The Sons of Temperance, a 19th-century organization campaigning for the prohibition of liquor, financed construction of the second floor for their meeting hall. — Map (db m18800) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Mere Machines of Labor |
| | Work in the Smith and Forging Shop that stood here was dirty, smoky, noisy, and dangerous. Worse still, in the early 1800s armorers changed from skilled craftsmen - creating unique handcrafted weapons - into wage laborers tending machines for less pay. Calling themselves "mere machines of labor" armory workers took their complaints directly to U.S. President John Tyler in 1842. Tyler dismissed them saying the workers "must go home and hammer out their own salvation." Conditions did not improve . . . — Map (db m23491) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Mountains, Men, and Maneuvers |
| | Confederate Major General “Stonewall” Jackson could not see this view. His lower vantage on Schoolhouse Ridge, 1000 yards upriver, blocked his sight of this strategic position. Yet Jackson remembered this farm from his time as Confederate commander at Harpers Ferry during the first days of the war. He knew if he seized this ground he would threaten the rear of the Union army atop Bolivar Heights. Despite overwhelming odds, Jackson’s men secured the Chambers (Murphy) Farm and the . . . — Map (db m5892) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — My Favorite Boat |
| | The metal boat frame to your right is a replica of a collapsible boat built here for Lewis and Clark. Menwether Lewis came to the armory in 1803 to prepare for an epic cross-continent journey and oversee the construction and testing of the boat. Lewis successfully tested it in the nearby Potomac River. Unfortunately the boat failed them in the wild. Lewis wrote "She leaked in such manner that she would not answer ... [I] relinquished all further hope of my favorite boat.." He ordered his men to . . . — Map (db m20526) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Pilgrimage |
| | In July 1896, members of the National League of Colored Women traveled here from Washington, D.C. and posed for their picture in front of John Brown’s Fort. The women came to pay homage to Brown and his raiders, establishing a pilgrimage tradition for other civil rights organizations. Mary Church Terrell, the League’s first president, helped lead its fight against lynchings and racial segregation. She described the organization’s mission as: “lifting as we climb, onward and upward . . . — Map (db m8317) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Power of the Potomac |
| | The Potomac River races east past you with enough mountain-carving power to punch through the entire Blue Ridge to your right. Such energy easily powered the entire national armory from the early 1800s until 1861. Diverted by a dam upstream, river water flowed through the armory canal, dropping 22 feet over 1.5 miles. This falling water coursed through headraces (entry points) and followed underground tunnels, turning water wheels and turbines as it flowed through pipes in the armory factories. . . . — Map (db m20536) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Prize of War |
| | Harpers Ferry was much sought by North and South, 1861-1865. Its garrison of 12,000 Union troops was captured by an army of Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson, Sept. 15, 1862, on way to join Lee at Antietam. The Catholic Church was used as Federal hospital. — Map (db m2935) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Protecting the Supply Lines |
| | "...make all the valleys south of the Baltimore and Ohio [rail]road a desert as high up as possible...so that crows flying over it [Virginia] for the balance of the season will have to carry their provisions with them." Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, USA July 17, 1864 Securing Harpers Ferry as a supply base was essential during Union Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign in the Fall of 1864. In front of you are the weathered remains of Battery #1 overlooking the . . . — Map (db m5370) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Racing West |
| | On this spot in 1838 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) pulled into the lead in the race for transportation industry dominance with the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (C&O). Denied across to the Maryland side of the river, the B&O struck a deal with the armory to build an elevated train trestle on the river wall beneath your feet. Continuing west along what was then the Virginia side of the river, the B&O Railroad quickly passed the C&O Canal and won the race west, becoming the first successful railroad in the United States. — Map (db m23415) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Railroads |
| | Trains clanking along iron rails have echoed through Virginius Island since the Winchester & Potomac Railroad arrived here in 1836. It extended from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad junction at Harpers Ferry 32 miles southward to Winchester. The W&P line enabled local industrialists to import raw materials and export finished products to the port of Baltimore and into the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. During the Civil War, both Union and Confederate forces damaged the railroad. By late fall, . . . — Map (db m18981) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Rats in a Cage |
| | The Union army refused to give up. Frustrated by the Federals' stronghold on Bolivar Heights, "Stonewall" Jackson ordered cannons to the mountain tops and nearby plateaus. Pounded by a day and a morning of Confederate bombardment, Union soldiers felt the strain, "A general feeling of depression observable in all the men...All seem to think that we will have to surrender or be cut to pieces," wrote Union Private Louis B. Hull. We are as helpless as rats in a cage. Captain Edward Ripley, 9th Vermont — Map (db m5391) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — River Wall |
| | The Harpers Ferry & Shenandoah Manufacturing Company built this stone wall about 1848 as part of the hydraulic system for its two cotton mils and other shops downstream. This extensive retaining wall formed part of the berm separating the inner basin from the river. Water flowed from the inner basin into the tunnels which led to the factories. — Map (db m18944) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Shenandoah Canal |
| | In 1806, workmen with hand tools widened and deepened this channel for cargo boats to bypass, or "skirt," the rapids in the Shenandoah River. Linked with many other skirting canals" en route to Washington, D.C., this passage became part of the Potowmack Canal system founded by George Washington. He envisioned these bypasses as the way to improve navigation on the Potomac River for trade with the western frontier. Within thirty years, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (a continuous canal), the . . . — Map (db m18988) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Shenandoah Pulp Factory |
| | In 1877-1888, on the former site of the Shenandoah Canal's lower locks, Thomas Savery erected this large mill to provide wood pulp for the paper industry. Ten turbines, arranged in pairs in the mill's five massive sluiceways, powered wood grinders, rolling machines, and other pulp-making machinery. By the 1920's, Savery's mill had the capacity to produce 15 tons of ground wood pulp daily. After several unprofitable years, the mill closed in 1935. Within a year the building was destroyed by . . . — Map (db m18985) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Shenandoah River |
| | The power of the Shenandoah River once made Virginius Island valuable real estate. Armory Superintendent James Stubblefield purchased the island in 1824 for $15,000. Two months later he almost doubled his investment by selling the island as four tracts while promoting its industrial potential. By the mid-1850s, businessman Abraham Herr had paid almost $47,000 for this 13-acre island. The river signified both friend and enemy to the industrialists and residents here. As long as it stayed within . . . — Map (db m18816) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Shenandoah Street about 1880 |
| | (Photo of the buildings along Shenandoah Street about 1880) — Map (db m18788) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Sheridan Dug In |
| | In August 1864 Harpers Ferry was again a Union stronghold. Union General Philip Sheridan and his men built this redoubt—the earthwork in front of you—as fortification against the Confederates. Sheridan’s objective was to stop the Confederates from skirting undetected along the Shenandoah River (below you) into Harpers Ferry. They had done so on three previous campaigns—Maryland (1862), Gettysburg (1863), and Washington (1864). The ravine to your right separated the redoubt . . . — Map (db m5896) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Sheridan Fortifications |
| | In August 1864, Gen. U.S. Grant ordered Gen. Phillip Sheridan to construct earth fortifications on Bolivar Heights. These forts faced northwest to protect against Confederate movements down the Shenandoah Valley to Harpers Ferry. This Sheridan trench is 300 yds. long with the south end protected by a hook embankment. Artillery positions were erected within the fortifications. This was the location of gun #5. — Map (db m5863) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Short-lived Sanctuary |
| | Thousands of enslaved people fled to the Union lines at Harpers Ferry during the Civil War. Some of them found shelter in the "contraband camp" located near here in the shadow of John Brown's Fort. Their freedom and safety were always in jeopardy. Any withdrawal of the Union forces left them vulnerable to slave-catchers, notorious for capturing people of color and selling them into slavery. After the confederate capture of Harpers Ferry in 1862, Union Colonel William Trimble recalled watching . . . — Map (db m20491) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Six Acres That Changed the World |
| | Along this path lie the remains of revolutions. Six acres of the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry have been reduced to rubble. Buildings that buzzed with activity and innovation now lie covered with dirt. Train tracks that pushed to the edge of a new frontier lie abandoned. A stone marker stands where John Brown and his men struck their blow against slavery heralding new birth for the nation and new freedom for all its people. (Timeline):
1795 "A place of immense strength"
George . . . — Map (db m20475) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Springhouses and Root Cellars |
| | These small caves carved into the shale cliffside at one time served as springhouses and root cellars for the residents of this block. The cooler subsurface temperatures of a root cellar helped preserve herbs, vegetables, and fruits in the days before modern refrigeration. — Map (db m18755) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — St. John's Episcopal Church |
| | These weathered ruins are all that remain of St. John's Episcopal Church - one of Harpers Ferry's five earliest churches. Built in 1852 with money provided by church fairs, St. John's served as a hospital and barracks during the Civil War and suffered considerable damage. It was rebuilt afterward, but was abandoned in 1895 when a new Episcopal church was built in the upper town. — Map (db m18790) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church |
| | Construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad produced an influx of Irish laborers into the Harpers Ferry area during the early 1830's. St. Peter's Catholic Church, completed in 1833, symbolizes America's melting pot tradition and the customs, habits, and religion of the early Irish immigrants. During the Civil War, to protect the church from Union and Confederate shells, Father Costello flew the British Union Jack flag as a symbol of the church's . . . — Map (db m18789) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters |
| | This residence was used as headquarters by Confederate General T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson while stationed in the area during the Civil War — Map (db m2942) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Struggle to the Heights |
| | Consider dragging 2,000-pound cannon up this ravine—at night. General A.P. Hill’s Confederates faced that task during the second night of battle. The assignment was essential to “Stonewall” Jackson’s plan to flank the Union army on the crest of Bolivar Heights. Hill’s men dragged artillery up this and other nearby ravines before rolling the cannon into position in the open field behind you. The names of these soldiers are not recorded in military reports about the event, but their labors soon changed the course of the battle. — Map (db m5889) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Sweets for Harpers Ferry |
| | The enticing smell of bread, cakes, candies, and pies undoubtedly attracted many customers to Frederick Roeder's Confectionery, making it a prosperous business from 1845 to 1861. In addition to his store, it is reported that he carried small pies to the train station to sell to hungry passengers before the days of dining cars. By 1856, Roeder was so successful that he enlarged this structure by one and a half stories, creating much needed space for his business and family of 7 children. . . . — Map (db m25151) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Abatis |
| | During the construction of this fort, many of the trees which were located directly in front of these embankments were felled forming an “abatis”. This timber obstruction slowed the advance of the attacking forces so that snipers, infantry, and the artillery behind the fort could easily range in on the enemy. — Map (db m5872) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Confederate Perspective |
| | "General J.R. Jones was directed to make a demonstration against the enemy's right." Jackson's official report Confederate Colonel Edmund Pendleton wrote about the night of September 14, 1862, from his perspective across the road on School House Ridge. Pendleton and his men were facing this direction, holding the Union forces in check on Bolivar Heights behind you. "We lay upon our arms till nearly daylight, the quietude of the night being unbroken, save by a sharp musketry fire of . . . — Map (db m7796) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The First Line of Defense: The Union Skirmish Line |
| | After sunset on September 14, 1862, the Confederate cannons across the road on School House Ridge vanished in the darkness. The features of the landscape began to blur as the shell-shocked Union soldiers on Bolivar Heights wondered if they could survive another day of artillery bombardment. The Union troops could not rest until tomorrow, however, because General "Stonewall" Jackson's Confederate Army might charge over School House Ridge at any moment. To guard against such an attack, the Union . . . — Map (db m5394) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The First Year of the War |
| | "The people for the most part were tongue-tied with terror...overwhelmed with ruin..." Porte Crayon, war correspondent April 18, 1861 The armory and arsenal's destruction signaled the beginning of the war and the end of prosperity in Harpers Ferry. On April 18, 1861, the day after Virginia seceded from the Union, Virginia militia awaited reinforcements on this ridge while preparing to seize Harpers Ferry. At 10:00 p.m. the out-numbered Federal garrison blew up the arsenal and . . . — Map (db m5393) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Harpers Ferry Bandstand |
| | The Harpers Ferry Town Bandstand or Gazebo was originally one of the structures on Island Park. This amusement park was created and operated by the B&O Railroad from 1879 to 1909 on Byrne Island in the Potomac River just below the Hilltop House. Island Park was a well known tourist attraction at that time, with a steam driven merry-go-round and ferris wheel, dance pavilions, midway, wading beaches, boat rentals, and picnic areas. Gilbert Perry, a town resident, was quoted in 1880: "Island Park . . . — Map (db m2936) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Iron Horse Wins |
| | Work on the railroad and canal progressed slowly at first, but by 1834 both companies had completed construction to a point opposite Harpers Ferry. The canal had won the race to this point and it continued up the Maryland side of the Potomac. The B&O Railroad, plagued by land disputes with the canal, crossed the Potomac at Harpers Ferry in 1837 and rapidly pushed on. By 1842 it reached Cumberland, Maryland, and a decade later the railroad was open to Wheeling on the Ohio River. Business boomed . . . — Map (db m12062) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Moler Family |
| | The Moler Family of Jefferson County, West Virginia. In this cemetery are buried George Adam Moler (1714–1783) and his wife Eve. George Adam Moler came to American on Aug. 29, 1730 with his father Ludwig Mohler, settling first in Lancaster, Penn. He moved to this area around 1758. He received a land grant from Lord Fairfax in 1762. Due to a misspelling on this land grant George changed the spelling of his last name from Mohler to Moler. This cemetery is on the original land grant. . . . — Map (db m1962) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Mule Falters |
| | As the railroad streaked westward from Harpers Ferry, the C&O Canal fell hopelessly behind in the race for Ohio. Burdened by a lack of building supplies and a scarcity of skilled labor, the canal encountered serious financial problems and did not reach Cumberland, Maryland until 1850 --- eight years after the railroad reached that point. Plans to continue further westward were abandoned. Made obsolete by the faster and less expensive railroad, the C&O Canal never attained any great measure of . . . — Map (db m12064) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Murphy Farm |
| | Established 1869 Alexander Murphy 1840-1931 Mollie M. Murphy 1869-1945 Mary Murphy 1834-1908 William J. Murphy 1872-1931 Historical events on the Farm: Battle of Harpers Ferry September 13-15, 1862 General Philip Sheridan's Fortification August 1864 to April 1865 Site of John Brown Fort 1895-1910 Pilgrimage of the Colored Women's League of Washington, D.C. July 1896 The Second Niagara Movement John Brown Day Pilgrimage to John Brown's Fort August 17, 1906 In memory of Alexander and Mary . . . — Map (db m13275) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Niagara Movement |
| | Here, on August 15-19, 1906, on the Storer College campus, the Niagara Movement held their first open and public meeting on American soil. Organized by W.E.B. Du Bois and others a year earlier in Erie Beach, Ontario, Canada, the Niagara Movement became the cornerstone of modern civil rights movement and was the forerunner of the NAACP. (Sponsor of this marker): Star Lodge No 1 F&AM and Jefferson Co. Black History Pres. SOC. — Map (db m2937) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — 2 — The Point — Meriwether Lewis at Harpers Ferry |
| | Today's view of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers passing through the water gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains has changed little from Meriwether Lewis' view in 1803. Lewis hoped to find a similar, accessible trade route on rivers passing through the Rocky Mountains. — Map (db m18801) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Race to the Ohio |
| | Rail transportation in the United States began in Baltimore, Maryland on July 4, 1828, when Charles Carroll, the only living signer of the Declaration of Independence, laid the cornerstone of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad On the same day President John Quincy Adams turned the first spade of earth along the Potomac River for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The race was underway as the progressive railroad and the traditional canal struggled to become the first to connect the Ohio Valley with . . . — Map (db m12060) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — The Trap Closes |
| | "General Hill, charge and give them the bayonet."
Major Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
September 15, 1862
Maj. Gen. A. P. Hill's division received orders from Stonewall Jackson to flank the Federal left on Bolivar Heights on Sunday afternoon, September 14, 1862. Although his Confederate army surrounded the 14,000 - man garrison. Jackson realized an artillery bombardment alone would not force a Union surrender.
About 4:00 p.m., Hill's division of 3,000 . . . — Map (db m12057) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Trail to Upper Harpers Ferry |
| | Townspeople hand-carved these steps into the cliff early in the 1820's to gain easier access to homes and churches in the upper town. The rock cliff is composed of Harper's shale and you will find it scattered throughout the Harpers Ferry region in house walls and foundations, bridge supports, boundary walls, and ruins. These stone steps will take you up the hill on a tour of the upper town. The first leg of the journey is steep, but relatively short - and you will find views of the . . . — Map (db m13299) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Union Skirmish Line |
| | Union troops on the crest and slope of Bolivar Heights to the East were attacked by Confederates lead by Gen. Jackson from School House Ridge to the West on 14 Sept. 1862. Private Paylor, Co. D., 111th NY, recalled this as "an awful fight." This action helped defeat 12,000 Union troops at Harpers Ferry. Their surrender on 15 Sept. was the largest of Federal forces until Bataan, the Philippines, WW II, 1942. (Marker Sponsor): Harpers Ferry CWRT, American CWRT (UK) — Map (db m2944) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Virginius Island Trail — A Town Lost in History |
| | In the shadow of the United States Armory at Harpers Ferry, private industry thrived. Across this canal is Virginius Island, site of a town that once bustled with pre-Civil War businesses and the activities of 200 people. Built along the banks of the Shenandoah, the town's thriving factories were powered by the same river that later destroyed them. Virginius Island today has returned to nature, but a stroll along this trail offers a glimpse into its colorful past. As you explore, search for . . . — Map (db m18808) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — Water Tunnels |
| | Tunnels increased power. Here water from the inner basin, located off to your right, flowed through a series of underground passages. With openings smaller at the downstream end - like a nozzle on a garden hose - these tunnels increased the water's flow. This increased pressure created more waterpower for the factories. As you continue along the trail, look for evidence of the river wall and the head gates - other features of this elaborate waterpower system, first built around 1848. — Map (db m18942) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — We Began Firing At Will: The 111th New York Regiment |
| | "We went below and formed in line of battle and laid down on our arms. Sleep was out of the question but of course, human nature will succumb and drowsiness was general among the boys. It must have been nine O'Clock or more by this time. All of a sudden there came a blinding flash in front of our line. We were all alert in a moment and we got in line of battle as quickly as possible. We began firing at will for all we knew hardly a thing about military drill and didn't see anything to fire . . . — Map (db m5396) HM |
| West Virginia (Jefferson County), Harpers Ferry — White Hall Tavern |
| | Located directly across from the U.S. Armory, the White Hall Tavern was an 1850's community gathering place, where white males debated politics; discussed local events; and protested armory management, wages and layoffs. The tavern's close proximity easily tempted armory workers to raise a glass, or two... or three, before and during work. As a result, Armory officials took a stand that public houses, such as White Hall Tavern, ruined morals, work ethics, and even threatened armory production. . . . — Map (db m18667) HM |
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