Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry town (1990 pop. 308), Jefferson co., easternmost W Va., at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers; inc. 1763. The town is a tourist attraction, known for its history and its scenic beauty. John Brown 's seizure of the U.S. arsenal there on Oct. 16, 1859, and the town's subsequent strategic importance during the Civil War, when it was considered the key to the Shenandoah valley , brought it into national prominence. In 1747, Robert Harper, a millwright, established a ferry at the junction of the two rivers—hence the town's name. The U.S. arsenal was located there in 1796, and by the mid-19th cent., Harpers Ferry was an important arms-producing center, with mills, numerous gun factories, and huge stores of weapons and ammunition. The development of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and of the Baltimore & Ohio RR increased its importance, making it a transportation link between the Ohio valley and the East. During the Civil War it was primarily held by Union soldiers but changed hands a number of times. Its industrial plant was repeatedly destroyed by troops of both sides. Harpers Ferry never recovered economically, and a series of devastating floods in the late 19th cent. ended all hopes for revival. Despite continued flooding during the 20th cent., many old buildings remain. Of interest are the fire engine house in which John Brown was captured; the John Brown Museum; and the old steps, hand-carved (early 1800s) into the natural stone, which lead to Robert Harper's house (1775-82) and to Jefferson Rock. The Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (est. 1963; 2,343 acres/949 hectares) attracts many visitors (see National Parks and Monuments , table).

Harpers Ferry a small town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. It is famous for a raid in October 1859 in which John Brown and a group of abolitionists captured a Federal arsenal located there.

Harpers Ferry, Virginia town (in present-day West Virginia) at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, and site of a federal arsenal. Because of the arsenal and the town's significance as a transportation hub for western Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, abolitionist John Brown targeted it in a raid that took place October 16–18, 1859. He hoped that the action would lead to an invasion of the South and a liberation or rebellion of slaves. The raid failed, with most of Brown's twenty or so followers either killed or, like Brown, captured and hanged afterward. The raid drew national attention to the issue of slavery and increased passions on both sides of the debate. Harpers Ferry also was an important objective for the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, and control of the town switched several times.