Location drew American attention to the village of Harpers Ferry during the days of the Civil War, emancipation and the Industrial Revolution.
Today, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park continues to attract people to its "perfect blend of history, natural beauty, dining and shopping," said Dennis Frye, park chief historian and an area native.
The park located at the corners of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland is a 90-minute drive from Washington, D.C. It rests at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers and has the Appalachian Trail/Blue Ridge Mountains and CSX rail line running through it.
The park includes the original town of Harpers Ferry, providing visitors with tours, museums, hiking and biking trails, shopping, galleries, dining and restored 19th-century streetscapes.
Frye expects the number of visitors to "bump up" because of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, which will be observed in June and July. Gettysburg, along with Harpers Ferry and Antietam, comprise a revered battlefield triangle. However, he said, spending a day or more at Harpers Ferry makes for a compelling journey on its own.
Frye said Harpers Ferry is where:
• Abolitionist John Brown tried launching an armed slave revolt in 1859 by seizing a U.S. arsenal. Marines foiled the raid. Brown was tried and hanged here, but his actions helped trigger the Civil War.
• During the Civil War, thousands of former slaves arrived as refugees. Some stayed to establish Storer College, an integrated school until the Jim Crow era.
• In 1906, W.E.B. DuBois held a conference at Storer College, "in which he laid the foundation of the modern civil rights movement," Frye said.
• Harpers Ferry in the mid-1800s also was a major industrial city where "the concept of interchangeable parts was perfected," according to Frye.
Ruane also reports for The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News Press.
About the park
Size: About 4,000 acres
Visitors: 263,105 in 2012
Established: As a National Monument in 1944; as a National Historical park in 1963
History: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation creating Harpers Ferry National Monument on June 29, 1944. An act of Congress on May 29, 1963, changed it to a national historical park.
When visiting: U.S. Highway 340, which passes through Maryland and a bit of Virginia before crossing over the Potomac River into West Virginia, offers access. The main visitor center is at 171 Shoreline Drive in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. Visitor information: (304) 535-6029. Operating hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except for New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Of note: Harpers Ferry changed hands eight times during the Civil War.