Harper's Ferry

Ah! tell me not of heights sublime,
The rocks at Harper's Ferry,
Of mountains rent in the lapse of time--
They're very sublime--oh very!
I'm thinking more of the glowing cheek
Of a lovely girl and merry,
Who climb'd with me to yon highest peak--
The girl of Harper's Ferry.
- St. Leger Landon Carter - The Girl of Harper's Ferry

Harper's Ferry is located on the banks of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia meet. The town was originally known as Shenandoah Falls at Mr. Harper's Ferry (1763) due to the ferry Robert Harper owned and operated. Historically, it is most noted for John Brown's raid on the Armory in 1859.

John Brown was an abolitionist who led a group of 22 men on a raid on the Arsenal, seizing weapons he believed he could use to start a slave uprising in the South. During that time it was illegal to assist fugitive slaves, so many people believed this act to be treason. John Brown and his group were eventually captured, and John Brown was put on trial for treason, where he was found guilty. He was hanged as a result of his conviction. Although he was killed for his attempts to free the slaves, his actions were a major catalyst in the Civil War.

The Civil War was the downfall of Harper's Ferry. Because of its strategic location, both Union and Confederate troops moved through Harper's Ferry. The town changed hands 8 times between 1861 and 1865.

"When Virginia seceded in April of 1861 the US garrison attempted to burn the arsenal and destroy the machinery. Locals saved the equipment, which was later transferred to a more secure location in Richmond. Arms production never returned to Harpers Ferry.

Shortly after the end of the Civil War, Harper's Ferry, along with all of both Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, was separated from Virginia and incorporated into West Virginia. The inhabitants of the counties as well as the Virginia legislature protested, but the federal government went ahead anyway, forming the West Virginia "panhandle" of today. Without the help of Harper's Ferry the North might have never won the war."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpers_Ferry,_West_Virginia

Harper's Ferry National Monument was established in 1944 was was eventually changed to Harper's Ferry National Historic Park by an act of Congress in 1963. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. Today, the original house built by Robert Harper is the oldest remaining structure in the lower part of the park. There are several museums located in the park, preserving the history of Harper's Ferry for future generations to enjoy.