Harpers Ferry/John Brown's Fort

Named for Robert Harper, who settled here in 1747 and operated ferry. Site purchased for Federal arsenal and armory in 1796. John Hall first used interchangeable gun parts here. Travel route thru Blue Ridge gap, and river, canal and railroad connections aided growth. John Brown’s raid and Civil War brought national attention. Post-war site of Storer College for blacks, and National Park, created in 1944.

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U. S. Armory fire engine and guardhouse, located near the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, was used by John Brown and his men during his 1859 raid to free enslaved blacks. Exhibited in Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair, Brown’s Fort returned and in 1909 was erected on the campus of Storer College, WV’s first African American college (1867-1955). Moved to present site in 1968.