Cultural Landscape Profiles
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers in West Virginia, with additional lands in Maryland and Virginia. Established in 1944, the history of Harpers Ferry is multi-layered, containing a diverse assemblage of cultural landscapes that represent the locations, people, and events associated with the park’s agricultural, military, social, and industrial history.
As an early manufacturing and commercial town sited near the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad and Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal, Harpers Ferry grew from a small village to an industrial center shaped by the presence of the U.S. Armory and Arsenal, water-powered pulp mills, and numerous other private industries. In 1859, Harpers Ferry was the site of the raid on the U.S. Armory led by John Brown. During the Civil War Harpers Ferry changed hands eight times, leaving a path of destruction that impacted the town’s infrastructure and economy. After the war, Storer College was established in Harpers Ferry in 1867 to educate formerly enslaved people.
Today, the park encompasses 3,745 acres of land, which provides various opportunities for visitors to engage with the historical events that occurred at Harpers Ferry.
Historic Structure and Cultural Landscape Reports
Discover NPS reports about the historic structures and cultural landscapes of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
Source: Data Store Saved Search 4848 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
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Harpers Ferry NHPLast updated: October 17, 2021