YEAR VISITED: 2004, 2006, & 2020

FAVORITE CITIES AND EXPERIENCES: Growing up people would ask, “what do you want to do when you get older?” While my answer was always, “I want to be a high school teacher” I never knew what subject I wanted to teach. It wasn’t until college that I found myself reading for fun, developed a love for history, and decided to become a high school history teacher. Once I landed my first job I grew into an insatiable reader where a hobby of mine was reading up on historical landmarks, battles, and events that would coincide with the lessons I was teaching. Whether I was teaching the American Revolution, World War I, or the Cold War, I found myself constantly reading up on the event. It was then that I developed a love for the American Civil War and began reading and ultimately collecting a library of information on every major Civil War battle site. One of my favorite campaigns to read about and study was John Brown and the events surrounding Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. I have been to West Virginia on three separate occasions and all three trips revolved around Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. It was here that the federal government housed an arsenal or weapons depot, which housed thousands of guns and ammunition. Brown, a hardcore abolitionist, hatched an insurrection plan to take over the arsenal, arm the slaves, and lead an uprising against the Confederates and institution of slavery. Ultimately his plan failed, he was caught in the act, arrested, and executed. In the South he was considered a villain and in the North a hero. No matter which side you were on, John Brown and the insurrection that occurred at Harpers Ferry was a major reason for war between the states. Today a replica arsenal (John Brown’s Fort) is on display and gives visitors a much better idea of what it looked like in 1859.

A few hundred yards away is a stone monolith marking the exact spot of the arsenal in the 19th century.

Directly in front of the arsenal is the confluence of the Potomac and the Shenandoah Rivers. On all three visits I remember standing on the viewing platform and marveling at the natural beauty of the entire area.

The water is cool and inviting, trees are everywhere and fill the surrounding hillsides, and the town is extremely well preserved. Hands down, this is one of my favorite places to visit on the entire East Coast.

STADIUMS AND/OR SPORTING EVENTS: We have not attended any sporting events in West Virginia.

ADVENTURE(S): The historical park is unique in the fact that it doesn’t allow cars. In an effort to preserve the shops, streets, and the overall feel of the city, cars are not allowed in the historical park. The town is built into a hill and therefore is divided into two sections; the Upper and Lower downtown.

There are parking lots at both, but far and away the most spacious lot is the upper. Once you park you are free to explore on foot or take the park shuttle which runs every 10-15 minutes from the Visitor Center to Lower downtown. Once you arrive in downtown, not having to contend with traffic is a bonus to the overall experience as you are free to move about the narrow and cobblestone roads freely. Nearly every visit to Harpers Ferry begins with an exploration of the town where there is a solid mix of restaurants, historical locations, museums, and boutique/tourist stores.

I have explored the streets in upper and lower downtown and loved both equally. My favorite location is St Peters Roman Catholic Church perched high on a hill. There are massive stone stairs that lead to this beautiful location, which also played a pivotal role in the war effort.

The view of the rivers and adjacent hillsides from the top of the stairs in front of the church are spectacular.

NOTABLE DESTINATIONS & STOPS: There are multiple hiking trails that expose you to the beauty in and around this area. I have done two of them. The first is located on the west side of town where Rick (my friend and history travel partner) and I hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail. While the trail extends over twenty miles we merely walked about 1 mile to our ultimate destination of Jefferson Rock. From Lower Town, walk west past High Street, St Peter’s Catholic Church, and the ruins of the Episcopal Church before connecting with the Appalachian Trail. One way is less than a mile and offers stunning views of the rivers and surrounding hillsides.

The rock derived it’s name from Thomas Jefferson as according to notes from the State of Virginia he first stood here and stated, “The passage of the Potomac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature.” After making this short hike, I would definitely agree with Jefferson. The second hike, the C&O Towpath Trail to Maryland Heights, I did was in 2020 with the whole family.

Unfortunately, temperatures were soaring in the upper 90’s that day and we got such a late start it was simply too hot to complete the entire 4.5 mile trail. However, from the pictures I have seen the views from the top are worth the effort as you are able to over see the entire town of Harpers Ferry, both the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, as well as three states (West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia). From Lower Town, cross the Potomac River over the train bridge which will take you to the trailhead. Interestingly enough the C&O Towpath trail is 184 miles long and wind along the old C&O train track. The path begins in Georgetown, Washington DC and ends in Cumberland, Maryland.

• OUR LIST TO VISIT OR RETURN TO:
• The Greenbrier National Historic Landmark
• Sing “Country Roads” at West Virginia Football game – Morgantown