Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

From West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia

Location: in Jefferson County in and near Harpers Ferry, WV

"The passage of the Patowmac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature." -- Thomas Jefferson

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park protects the scenic and historic landscape around the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers at the common corners of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. It includes parts of the town of Harper's Ferry, WV, and the Harpers Ferry Historic District. More than two million vacationers tour the national park each year, visiting the inns, shops, and museums that line the town's narrow streets and rafting, climbing, and hiking through the surrounding hills and mountains. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail courses through the park along the river and into the mountainous wall of the Blue Ridge rising east above the town. The C&O Canal National Historical Park follows the Potomac River through the park on its route between Washington, DC, and Cumberland, MD. Visitors who are touring the region's historic attractions will find a week's worth of places to visit in the park area.

History

The history of Harpers Ferry is relived among museums, historic sites, and interpretive waysides throughout the park and town. In 1799, a federal arsenal was established at the point of the town, which strategically overlooked the great gap in the Blue Ridge through which the Potomac runs. Here John Brown Raid's a revolt against slavery in 1859. Stonewall Jackson surrounded the town and captured its Union garrison in 1862. After the Battle of Antietam nearby, Federal forces transformed the surrounding heights into fortified encampments to protect the town and the railroad.