Harpers Ferry National Historical Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Shenandoah River on left and Potomac River on right merge at Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Location in West Virginia Show map of West Virginia Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Location in Maryland Show map of Maryland Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia
Nearest city	Charles Town, West Virginia
Area	3,660.73 acres (14.8144 km2)
Established	June 30, 1944 (1944-06-30)
Visitors	255,348 (in 2011)
Governing body	National Park Service
Website	Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is a special place where the Potomac River and Shenandoah River meet. It's located in and around the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. This park covers land in three different states: West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. The National Park Service takes care of the park.

Harpers Ferry became a National Monument in 1944. Later, in 1963, it was named a National Historical Park. The park includes the old town of Harpers Ferry. This town was important for factories in the 1800s. It's also famous for John Brown's attempt to end slavery there. The park is almost 4,000 acres big. Thomas Jefferson visited in 1783 and called the river passage "one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature." Because of its history and outdoor fun, the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Early History of Harpers Ferry

People have lived in this area for at least 8,000 years. The Tuscarora people were among the last Native American groups here. They mostly left by the early 1700s.

In 1751, a man named Robert Harper got land here. He started a ferry business, and the town became known as Shenandoah Falls at Mr. Harper's Ferry. Robert Harper's original house is the oldest building still standing in the park's lower area.

George Washington and the Armory

George Washington visited Harpers Ferry in 1785. He was looking for a way to ship goods west by water. Later, Washington started building the Harpers Ferry Armory here. This was a factory that used river power to make weapons.

The armory was very important. Meriwether Lewis bought most of the weapons for the Lewis and Clark Expedition from here. Blacksmiths at the armory even built a special metal boat frame for the expedition.

From 1820 to 1840, John H. Hall improved how parts were made. He used special tools to make "interchangeable parts." This meant that if a part broke, you could easily replace it with a new one. This was a big step for modern manufacturing. Later, a new type of bullet was invented here. Between 1801 and 1860, the armory made over half a million guns.

John Brown's Raid and the Civil War

An old drawing of U.S. Marines attacking John Brown's "Fort"

In 1859, John Brown, who was against slavery, led an armed group to take over the armory. Brown hoped to give weapons to enslaved people and start a rebellion to end slavery. However, he was captured by Marines led by Robert E. Lee. Brown was later hanged. He predicted that a civil war was coming, and he was right.

The most important building left from John Brown's raid is the firehouse. It's now called John Brown's Fort, and it's where he fought the Marines.

John Brown's Fort today

Harpers Ferry During the Civil War

The American Civil War (1861–1865) saw Harpers Ferry in a key spot. It was right on the border between the Union (North) and Confederate (South) forces. The town's location and its factories made it a valuable target for both sides.

The town changed hands many times during the war, at least eight times! Union forces left the town when Virginia joined the Confederacy. They burned the armory and took 15,000 rifles. A week later, Stonewall Jackson took control for the Confederates. He moved many factory tools south.

Union troops later returned and started rebuilding parts of the armory. But in September 1862, Stonewall Jackson came back. He attacked the Union forces in the Battle of Harpers Ferry. This led to 12,500 Union soldiers surrendering. This was the largest number of Union prisoners taken at one time during the war.

Storer College: A Place for Education

An old postcard of Storer College (1910)

Storer College was built in Harpers Ferry. It was one of the first schools in the U.S. where students of different races could learn together. Frederick Douglass, a famous speaker and writer, was a leader at the college. In 1881, he gave a famous speech there about John Brown.

Later, laws called Jim Crow laws created segregation. Because of this, other African American leaders, like Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, held a meeting at the school in 1906. This meeting was part of the Niagara Movement, which helped start the NAACP. They met to talk about how to fight against unfair laws and segregation peacefully.

Storer College closed in 1955 after school segregation ended. Today, the National Park Service manages what's left of the campus.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Today

A wide view of the Shenandoah River and the Potomac Railroad Bridge at Harpers Ferry

Many old buildings in the Lower Town Historic District of Harpers Ferry are now museums. They show what life was like in the 1800s. Almost half a million people visit the park each year.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is just north of Harpers Ferry. This canal was a busy waterway from 1828 to 1924. It helped move goods before railroads became common. Today, you can walk or bike on the canal's towpath. You can get there from Harpers Ferry by walking across a footbridge next to the railroad bridge over the Potomac River.

Besides its rich history, the park offers many outdoor activities. You can go fishing, boating, and whitewater rafting. There are also great hiking trails, including the famous Appalachian Trail, which goes right through the park.

In 2016, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park was featured on a special quarter. The coin shows John Brown's Fort in the middle.

Exploring the Lower Town Sites

Shenandoah Street, kept as it was long ago

The most interesting places in the Lower Town are where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac River. They are mostly along Shenandoah Street, Potomac Street, and High Street.

Here are some places you can visit:

• Information Center
• Restoration Museum
• Frankel's Clothing Store
• Industry Museum
• Bookshop
• Blacksmith Shop
• Hamilton Street
• A Place in Time Museum
• Provost Marshal Office
• Stipes’ Boarding House
• Dry Goods Store
• Arsenal Square
• John Brown's Fort
• The Point (where the rivers meet)
• John Brown Museum
• Wetlands Museum
• Storer College/Niagara Movement Museum
• A. Burton Clocks and Jewelry Exhibit
• 1862 Battle of Harpers Ferry Museum
• Confectionery Exhibit (candy shop!)
• Civil War Museum
• Black Voices Museum
• White Hall Tavern
• Meriwether Lewis Exhibit
• Harper House
• Jefferson Rock
• Harper Cemetery

Gallery

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  Harpers Ferry entry sign

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  Inside Harpers Ferry

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  Shenandoah Street & Lower Town

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  White Hall Tavern

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  White Hall Tavern

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  St. Peter's Catholic Church from Lower Town

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  Closer view of St. Peter's

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  The Dry Goods Store

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  Wetlands Exhibit

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  The CSX railroad bridge crosses the Potomac River on the edge of the park

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  View from Jefferson Rock at Harpers Ferry NHP

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  Harpers Ferry quarter

Images for kids

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  Overview of the Lower Town, looking toward Maryland Heights

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  Recreation of a 19th-century gun-making shop

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  St. Peter's Catholic Church

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  View from Jefferson Rock

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  View from Maryland Heights