Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
That was the happiest time of my life.
Storer alumna Ruby Reeler
| | Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 13, 2012
1. Storer College Marker
Female students arriving here at the Cook Hall dormitory were greeted with a welcoming letter that advised them, Here you will come as a refuge from the strangeness or perplexities of campus life. Here you will fight your battles of adjustment to new surroundings. Here you will gain new understanding of community living and of friendships.
Storer College provided a refuge from the pressures of segregated society. Students flourished within the structure of the Storer community. Football teams played on the field before you, and literary clubs and musical groups met in the buildings around you.
You loved the school this building was you.
Storer alumus
[Photo caption reads] Storer students were active in a wide variety of clubs, societies, and athletic teams.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 39° 19.412′
this page online
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in the Eastern Panhandle. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: John Brown (a few steps from this marker); Stephen Tyng Mather (within shouting distance of this marker); The Second Meeting of the Niagara Movement (within shouting distance of this marker); Heads versus Hands (within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Foundations of Freedom (within shouting distance of this marker); That was the happiest time of my life. (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Heads versus Hands (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named A Land Divided (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Harpers Ferry.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Niagara Movement at Storer College (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Foundations of Freedom (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Camp Hill during the Civil War
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 13, 2012
2. Storer College Marker
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced by the linked marker.
Also see . . . Storer College. (Submitted on December 19, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Additional keywords. That was the happiest time of my life.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 19, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 876 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 19, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
