Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States.[a] In some cases the name Harper's Ferry has been spelled using an apostrophe.[b] Harpers Ferry sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. This is where the U.S. states of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet. It is the easternmost town in West Virginia. The original, lower section of the town is located on a low-lying floodplain created by the two rivers. It is surrounded by higher ground on all sides. Historically, Harpers Ferry is best known for John Brown's raid on the Armory in 1859 and its role in the American Civil War.[7] During the war, between 1861 and 1865, the town changed hands between Union and Confederate forces 14 times.[8] The Battle of Harpers Ferry resulted in the largest surrender by Union Army soldiers in the Civil War.[8]
 | |
 Location of Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County, West Virginia | |
| Coordinates: 39°19′27″N 77°44′2″W / 39.32417°N 77.73389°WCoordinates: 39°19′27″N 77°44′2″W / 39.32417°N 77.73389°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Jefferson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.62 sq mi (1.62 km2) |
| • Land | 0.54 sq mi (1.39 km2) |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2) |
| Elevation | 489 ft (149 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 269 |
| • Density | 502.8/sq mi (194.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 25425 |
| FIPS code | 54-35284[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1560593[4] |
| Website | www |
The population was 269 at the 2020 census.[2]
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Media
Gravesite of Robert Harper from whom the town takes its name
See w:Harpers Ferry, West Virginia and w:John Brown's raid on Narpers Ferry.
Preserved John Brown's Fort (the engine house) in 2007
Stereoscopic picture of contraband camp at Harpers Ferry, about 1861, with John Brown's Fort in background
July 20, 1861 Harper's Weekly news illustration with camel back locomotive and tender wrecked by rebels in Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry in 1865, looking east (downstream); the ruins of the musket factory can be seen in the center.
Harpers Ferry and bridge from Maryland Heights, 1872
Maryland Heights, Harpers Ferry, 1873
Soldiers' Gate at Storer College
Notes
- ↑ Prior to West Virginia becoming a state in 1863, Harpers Ferry was located in Virginia.[5]
- ↑ For example: Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-64. Volume: 1. (1866), p. 279; French Ensor Chadwick, Causes of the Civil War, 1859-1861 (1906) p. 74; Allan Nevins, The Emergence of Lincoln (1950) v, 2 ch 3; James M. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (1988), p. 201; Stephen W. Sears, Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam (2003) p. 116. The popular usage is without the apostrophe.[6]
References
- ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Harpers Ferry town, West Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 27, 1996. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ↑ "West Virginia". History. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ↑ "Apostrophes don't always make the cut". The Virginian-Pilot. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2016.[dead link]
- ↑ "Harpers Ferry Town Website". Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Ten Facts about Harpers Ferry". Civil War Trust. Retrieved 29 June 2016.[dead link]