The Story
Harper's Ferry is known for its incredible hikes and quaint town. Let's go into its history!
Europeans settled into the area in 1732. Robert Harper bought the land and established a ferry across the Potomac River, making the town a starting point for settlers moving west.
George Washington proposed it as the location for a new United States armory and arsenal. It produced more than 600,000 muskets, rifles, and pistols.
In 1859, the radical abolitionist John Brown led a group of 21 men to seize the arsenal to initiate a slave uprising in the South. They attacked and captured several buildings. Local citizens and militia quickly pinned down John Brown's men. A contingent of US Marines, led by Robert E. Lee captured most of the raiders and tried them for treason.
The Civil War was disastrous for Harpers Ferry. When Virginia seceded, the US garrison attempted to burn the arsenal and destroy the machinery, to prevent the Confederates from using it. Locals saved the equipment, which the Confederate Army transferred to Richmond.
