Harper’s Ferry - Day 1
The switch I was waiting for from Amazon had not been delivered yet. So, I had blueberry pancakes at Cracker Barrel and then went across the street to Starbucks for a latte in a mug. By eleven it still hadn’t arrived, so I headed toward the locker, hoping it might show up while I was on the way.
It was about an hour’s drive to the Weis Market outside Martinsburg, West Virginia, and sure enough, my package had arrived. I went to the Amazon locker and picked up the switches I ordered yesterday. I’m still amazed at how fast things can be delivered. I did a little shopping for things I knew Weis carried that other supermarkets didn’t. Back at the van, I quickly swapped out the Starlink switch, pressed it, and the power light on the router came on. I was back in business.
Harpers Ferry wasn’t far, so I drove to the National Park Visitor Center, fully expecting it to be closed. The gate at the entrance station was up, and a sign read, “No Fees for Entrance at the Moment.” I parked and noticed a few people walking back from the visitor center. It was open, with three staff members inside. The space was small—basically one large room with a desk and brochures—but the staff couldn’t have been friendlier. They said the state of West Virginia was paying them so the center could stay open. After loading up on brochures, they directed me to the shuttle for the mile-and-a-half ride into town. The bus driver was cheerful and offered a few tips on what to see. I could have driven in, but parking in Harpers Ferry looked tight for a van.
Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, where West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia meet. The location made it one of the most strategic points in early American history. The ridges and valleys offered natural defenses and easy transportation routes that fueled trade and industry. George Washington chose the town in 1799 for a federal armory, and over the next sixty years, Harpers Ferry produced tens of thousands of rifles and muskets using innovative, water-powered workshops. The armory’s early adoption of interchangeable parts helped set the stage for modern American manufacturing.
As you walk into town, the first building on the right houses a small museum with a short film titled A Place in Time. It’s well done—professional and concise—laying out the story of Harpers Ferry from its industrial beginnings through the John Brown raid and the Civil War years. The film captures how geography, industry, and conflict all converged here, making this small town a pivotal crossroads in American history. When it finished, I walked slowly through the exhibits. The displays connect the dots between the rivers and ridges that shaped the town’s growth, the armory’s role in industry, and the deep national tensions that unfolded here. It’s compact but easy to follow.
Two couples were sitting nearby, discussing a book they’d just finished for their club. One man seemed especially knowledgeable—his tone and detail made me think he might be a professor. Their conversation added another layer to the experience, like listening in on a small seminar about Harpers Ferry. I lingered, reading plaques and studying maps. The museum may be small, but it’s a strong introduction—well-curated and the perfect place to start exploring the town.
The building next door is the Provost Marshal’s Office. The door was partially open, and the heat inside wasn’t keeping up with the mid-30s temperatures. I learned that the Provost Marshal served as the army’s law-and-order authority—responsible for maintaining discipline among troops, arresting deserters and spies, overseeing military prisons, and managing civilian affairs in occupied towns. During the Civil War, this same building also served as a boarding house. I toured the upper floors; the rooms were surprisingly posh for the period, with traces of comfort that contrasted sharply with the turmoil outside.
Some of the other buildings on Shenandoah Street were closed. I stopped at John Brown’s Fort—the place where Brown and his men made their last stand before being surrounded and captured by U.S. Marines led by Robert E. Lee (yes, that Robert E. Lee, before he joined the Confederacy).
John Brown
Harpers Ferry is best known for John Brown’s raid in 1859, one of the defining events leading to the Civil War. Brown, an abolitionist, seized the federal armory hoping to arm enslaved people and spark a rebellion. The raid failed—Brown was captured—but it electrified the nation and deepened the divide between North and South. His trial and execution made him a martyr for the abolitionist cause, and the site remains one of the most powerful symbols of America’s struggle with slavery.
Across the street was the John Brown Museum, the site I was most eager to visit. The main entrance was closed, so I found my way in through the back. Inside, three short films told the story of Brown’s life, his anti-slavery convictions, and the raid that forever tied his name to Harpers Ferry. The exhibits traced his journey from Kansas to the 1859 assault on the armory, where he hoped to ignite a national uprising. Artifacts, maps, and writings showed how deeply his moral beliefs drove him to act against what he saw as a national sin. The museum presents his story not just as rebellion, but as a turning point that forced the country to face the question of slavery.
Civil War
During the Civil War, Harpers Ferry changed hands at least eight times. Its railroads, bridges, and armory made it a constant military target. In 1862, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson captured more than 12,000 Union soldiers here—the largest Union surrender of the war. Afterward, Harpers Ferry became a symbol of rebuilding and progress. Storer College opened in 1867 to educate formerly enslaved people and later hosted the second meeting of the Niagara Movement in 1906, an early forerunner of the NAACP.
Today, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park preserves not just the town’s historic core but also the mountains, rivers, and trails that surround it. The Appalachian Trail passes directly through the lower town and across the Potomac River. From overlooks like Maryland Heights and Loudoun Heights, you can see the same sweeping views once admired by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Harpers Ferry remains a rare place where geography, innovation, and conviction all intersect—an American crossroads in every sense.
The rest of the afternoon I spent wandering the streets, visiting the train station, the original site of John Brown’s Fort, and the church up on High Street (St. John’s). There was more to see, but the last bus back ran at 5:30.
Six Acres That Changed the World
Near the train station, a plaque titled Six Acres That Changed the World summed up Harpers Ferry’s importance. In 1795, George Washington chose the site for America’s second armory, calling it “a place of immense strength.” From here, Meriwether Lewis equipped his 1803 expedition, and in 1819, John Hall’s invention of interchangeable parts revolutionized industry. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad arrived in 1836, pushing west through the armory grounds, and in 1859, John Brown’s raid set the nation on a path to civil war. Two years later, retreating Union troops burned the armory to keep it from Confederate hands. The plaque stands among the remnants of those six acres—where innovation, exploration, and rebellion changed the course of American history.
That evening, I found a quiet boat launch along the Potomac a few miles downriver on the east side. The sun had set, and the place was silent and completely dark. By seven, the van’s floor heat had spread warmth through the cabin, giving it a cozy feel. I made a large meal—pan-fried chicken, multi-grain rice, vegetables, and a small salad—then settled in and planned the next day’s hike up the mountain near Harpers Ferry.