Home > Facts > National Parks Facts > Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Facts

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Facts

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Facts
Harpers Ferry National Park is a 3,660.73 acre park located in Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia's Harpers Ferry region where the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers meet. Native Americans have inhabited the region for as long as 8,000 years, but in the 1700s when the European settlers arrived their population was decimated due to conflict and disease. Harpers Ferry is a town that is named after Robert Harper, a man who built a ferry to cross Potomac River in the 1700s. In 1944 the park's area was originally designated as a national monument. In 1963 Congress re-designated it as Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Approximately half a million people visit the park each year.
Interesting Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Facts:
Thomas Jefferson once said after visiting Harpers Ferry in 1783: "The passage of the Potomac through Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature."
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park has land in three states including West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia.
Several historical events have occurred on the land that is now Harpers Ferry National Historical Park including John Brown's 1858 abolitionist raid, Meriwether Lewis' Corps of Discovery, Niagara Movement meeting place, and a gathering in 1906 by civil rights movement leaders.
Harpers Ferry provided education in one of the country's earliest integrated schools for former slaves. It opened in 1865. The school was called Storer College. It closed in 1954 following the end of school segregation.
Robert Harper's original home is still standing. It is located in the park's lower region and is the oldest building in the park today.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park includes a preserved town with homes, businesses and museums for tourists to explore.
Some of the buildings in the park include White Hall Tavern, the Dry Goods Store, Stripe's Boarding House, Harper House, the Blacksmith Shop, the Bookshop, and Frankel's Clothing Store.
Outdoor activities for visitors to the park include white water rafting, boating, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and sightseeing.
The Appalachian Trail passes through Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
The park serves as a growing region for many rare plant species due to its position where the two rivers meet.
Trails in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park include Maryland Heights (4.5 to 6.5 miles), Visitor Center to Lower Town (1.6 miles), Murphy-Chambers Farm (1.3 miles), Bolivar Heights/School House Ridge (0.3 to 2.4 miles), School House Ridge (2.5 miles), Loudoun Heights (7.5 miles), and Camp Hill (2 to 3 miles).
There are workshops held within the park where visitors can learn about historic trades such as blacksmithing, sewing, gardening, and baking. Participants can learn about making butter, cheese, treats, bread, and pie and they can also learn about sewing and how blacksmithing was done.
Wildlife found in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park includes 18 reptile species, 14 amphibian species, 36 mammal species, 30 spider species, 43 fish species, 276 insect species, and 174 bird species.
Mammal species found in the park include the short-tailed shrew, white-tailed deer, raccoons, southern flying squirrels, American minks, groundhogs, opossums, and many more.


Related Links:
Facts
National Parks Facts
Animals Facts