You can now create your own itineraries to guide your C&O Canal exploration, or you can copy one of ours! Learn more about Itineraries.
This is the story of an ambitious surveyor/ engineer and a namesake town that never really reached its potential. Learn more.
This is the story of an ambitious surveyor/ engineer and a namesake town that never really reached its potential.
Casper Wever was born in 1786 in Lancaster, PA. He worked as a superintendent on both the National Road and the B&O Railroad. His reputation for quick work, tremendous cost overruns, and questionable business practices prompted questions from the railroad’s board of engineers.
The B&O’s president Philip Evan Thomas defended Wever and his work ethic, but when Thomas resigned from the railroad in 1836, Wever quickly resigned as well and returned to his mill and property just south of Harpers Ferry.
With the knowledge that the Potomac River dropped 15 feet as it passed by his property, Wever decided to sell riverfront land to investors in water-powered industries. A ready supply of potential energy and a transportation network in place wasn’t enough, however. General Henderson’s Steel and File Manufacturing Company provided files to the Harpers Ferry armory for a while, and a small marble-cutting operation also set up shop, but the factory town never took hold. Some say it was because the companies were never able to provide an inviting residential community.
By the mid 1800s, Wever’s own company, Weverton Manufacturing Company, also failed. Wever continued living on his adjacent farm property with family until his death in 1861. Once the location of a hotel, store, train station and saloon, Weverton is now a ghost town.
We know that to preserve something, you need to experience it, so we are proud to provide support to the C&O National Historical Park as their official philanthropic partner.
Please visit the National Park Service website for the following information:
For more information and nearby places to stay or grab a bite to eat, please visit our local tourism partners:
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There has been a lapse in appropriations, and a shutdown of the federal government is currently in effect. Much of the C&O Canal National Historical Park remains open to the public, however, the National Park Service is not able to operate as normal. Visitor services, including park visitor centers and other NPS-staffed facilities, will not be available. Inquiries to the National Park Service will not be received or responded to until the shutdown ends.
The C&O Canal Trust’s staff are currently working remotely. Scheduled Trust events and Canal Quarters reservations will continue as scheduled. While a federal government shutdown is in effect, visitors should not expect services typically provided by the National Park Service to be available. All visitors are urged to practice safety in the park and plan ahead. Be a good park steward by recreating responsibly and practicing Leave No Trace principles, respecting cultural and natural resources.
Information regarding the Department of Interior’s Operations in the Absence of Appropriations can be found here: https://www.doi.gov/shutdown.
When federal funding is restored, we look forward to continuing to work with our park partner to ensure the C&O Canal remains beautiful, safe, and welcoming for visitors today and for future generations. Love the Park? Help the Trust! Consider making a donation. Your support directly helps fund beautification, conservation, education, and preservation initiatives in the park.