Harpers Ferry-Bolivar

The two towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar lie side-by-side at the eastern point of West Virginia. Harpers Ferry’s location at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers made it a natural site for commerce. Bolivar, just uphill from Harpers Ferry, was a commercial center for the rich agricultural region surrounding it and provided homes for commuters working in the factories of Harpers Ferry. Today, two towns are surrounded by Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Thomas Jefferson called views
from the area “one of the most stupendous scenes in nature,” and “worth the voyage across the Atlantic.”

In 1747, Robert Harper purchased land and established the right to operate the ferry, already in operation. The towns became a transportation hub in the 1830s, with the arrival of the C&O Canal, the B&O Railroad, and the Winchester & Potomac Railroad. The second U.S. Armory and Arsenal were built in Harpers Ferry in 1799. The Armory would go on to produce over 600,000 muskets, rifles, and pistols before its destruction at the outset of the Civil War. The termination of the C&O Canal Company in 1924 and a series of floods in the 1930s ended industrial growth in the area.

Harpers Ferry is best known for John Brown’s raid. In 1859, Brown and 21 men, including five African American men, raided the Federal Armory in an attempt to start a slave revolt. Brown captured several buildings but failed to incite a general rebellion. However, the raid and Brown’s subsequent hanging became flashpoints leading to Civil War. That war was disastrous for Harpers Ferry and Bolivar, and control of the towns passed back and forth between the two armies eight times, largely due to the B&O Railroad’s importance in the war. The largest surrender of U.S. troops prior to World War II occurred on Bolivar Heights in 1862.

With the founding of Storer College in 1867, the towns became a center for African American education. In 1906, W.E.B. Du Bois led a three-day meeting for the Niagara Movement at the Storer campus to advocate for civil rights for African Americans. In 1944, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park was established. Today, the two towns are home to more than 100 19th-century Armory worker houses, many of which have been restored and are now private residences.

The area around the two towns is unique as the intersection of the C&O Canal, the Appalachian Trail, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, and the Washington Heritage Trail. It is a prime spot for recreation, and multiple outfitters lead rafting, tubing, fishing,
biking, and paddling trips, as well as offer zip line courses, camping, and shuttle services.