Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Travel Guide

 doug48 Says:  while union general miles was preoccupied with lawton's attack at bolivar heights confederate general a. p. hill attacked miles' exposed left flank from the south. at the same time harpers ferry was being bombarded by the artillery of general lafayette mc laws from maryland... 

 doug48 Says:  harpers ferry railroad fire house also known as john brown's fort is the most famous building in town. in october 1859 brown and his twenty one man "provisional army of the united states" tried to take possession of the united states armory and arsenal at harpers ferry.... 

 doug48 Says:  during the battle of harpers ferry in september 1862 boliver heights was the site of a fake attack on harpers ferry. confederate general alexander lawton attacked union general dixon miles' defensive line on boliver heights which distracted him from the main confederate... 

 doug48 Says:  the federal provost marshal of the harpers ferry district office is located on shenandoah street in the historic district. this building is open to the public and has a small museum. worth a look when in downtown harpers ferry. 

 doug48 Says:  pictured is the ruins of savery mill. in 1888 on the former site of the shenandoah locks, thomas savery built a large pulp mill to produce wood pulp for the paper industry. by the 1920's savery mill had the capacity to produce 15 tons of wood pulp per day. the mill closed in... 

 doug48 Says:  in 1794 the united states congress passed a bill "for erecting and repairing of arsenals and magazines". president george washington selected harpers ferry for the location of an armory. in 1799 construction began on the national armory and three years later the mass... 

 Toughluck Says:  On a hot summers day, this southern town would have been steamy. Only the breeze coming up from the river would have provided some relief and that may have been minimal with the armory down below. Open porches to get out in the air would have been ideal. Those perched high... 

 Toughluck Says:  The oldest structure in town is the Harper House. The building includes displays on the life of a worker at the Armory. 

 Toughluck Says:  This is where you'll spend most of your time. Here, you'll find a variety of museums and places to visit. As you move up the hill or away from Shenandoah Street, you'll leave the park and find a variety of shops selling souvenirs, food, and other items (clothing) of... 

 Toughluck Says:  The park information center is a good place to begin. It provides information on the growth of town and the events surrounding John Brown's Raid. 

 Toughluck Says:  #17 - Harpers Ferry Wetlands (corner building)Information on the floodplains of the Shenandoah River. The richness of natural resources and what you can see today on Virginius Island.#16 - Allies for Freedom (2nd floor)Talks about the 5 African-Americans who joined John... 

 Toughluck Says:  As you walk into town from where the bus drops you, you'll be looking down Shanandoah Street.Harpers Ferry: A Place in Time (Stop #8) is the first building on the right as you approach. Here, you'll learn about the town itself. Why Harper set up his ferry here, the story of... 

 doug48 Says:  for those interested in the john brown raid the jefferson county courthouse in nearby charles town is worth a visit. john brown and his co-conspirators were tried and convicted at the jefferson county courthouse in november 1859. the jefferson county courthouse was also the... 

 Toughluck Says:  I list this area in 'Off the Beaten Path' because I'm always surprised how many visitors don't take the walk under the railroad trestle out to "The Point". The Point is the junction between the Potomac (on left) and the Shenandoah (on right) Rivers. You look down river (the... 

 Toughluck Says:  While most of the focus in this part of West Virginia is on Harpers Ferry, there are other nearby towns, worth a visit. Charlestown (not Charleston, the capital) is just up US 340 and offers a variety of stores and restaurants. It's best known for it's horse track. Up on the...