Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Railroads

Photographed by Craig Swain, September 22, 2007

1. Railroads Marker

Inscription. 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, 1864, however, Union General Sheridan had rebuilt the W&P to supply over 30,000 U.S. troops in the valley.

This railroad still operates today. It stands as the only "living" remnant of the island's industrial past.

Just ahead is the railroad. Please use caution as you cross the tracks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1836.

Location. 39° 19.284′ N, 77° 44.283′ W. Marker is in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in Jefferson County. It can be reached from Shenandoah Street (Business U.S. 340), on the right when traveling east. Located on Virginius Island in Harpers Ferry National Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Harpers Ferry WV 25425, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area

and in the Eastern Panhandle.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers

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are within walking distance of this marker: Head Gates and Inner Basin (within shouting distance of this marker); House Ruins (within shouting distance of this marker); Island Mills (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); River Wall (about 500 feet away); Jonathan Child House (about 600 feet away); Island Access (about 600 feet away); Shenandoah Pulp Factory (about 700 feet away); Jefferson Rock (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Harpers Ferry.

More about this marker. In the lower part of the marker is a photo of A freight train traveling through Virginius Island, circa 1900.

Railroads Marker beside the Railroad image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, September 22, 2007

2. Railroads Marker beside the Railroad

The Still Active W&P Line image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, September 22, 2007

3. The Still Active W&P Line

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 965 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 14, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.