Harpers Ferry, WV

” Almost heaven. West Virginia.” ~ John Denver

I agree wholeheartedly with Denver. He could not have described it more accurately. Harpers Ferry Road leading up to the town of Harpers Ferry was gorgeous and green, with lush, wooded terrain on both sides of the road, tall, imposing trees filled with fresh, new green leaves. It is breathtaking and hard to stay focused on the road as one wants to look from side to side and take in the sights, hoping they remain in one’s memory forever.

Adam and Jessica had seen the important places on their list in DC, and Aaron wanted to plan something fun for their last day with us. So he chose Harpers Ferry. It has been on our list of places to see for a very long time, and it was the perfect choice! The weather turned out to be a bit chilly and when the winds picked up, it was downright freezing. We were thinking of going kayaking but nixed that idea quickly as soon as the first gust of wind had passed. Instead, we walked around the quaint town that is Harpers Ferry and took in all the history and abundant nature it had to offer.

This is the John Brown Monument to commemorate the original location of the John Brown Fort – The Federal Armory’s fire-engine house, where the famed abolitionist John Brown and his men, the raiders, were captured by the US Marines on October 18, 1859. The Fort was moved about 150 ft from this spot to the south.

A view of the town from the John Brown Monument.

These are the grounds of the Armory, the main reason why Meriwether Lewis came to Harpers Ferry. He needed dependable weapons and supplies to succeed on his mission. The armory consisted of ten buildings and the quality was great.

This is the entrance to the John Brown Museum. We watched three short movies on John Brown and his determination to abolish slavery. Fascinating. The men of old fought wars and lost lives to stand for the principles they strongly believed in and each one had to do with humanitarian issues – a better life for man. It makes me wonder what America fights for these days and if the driving forces behind any fight is based on strong principles of goodness and righteousness.

The foundations of the main Armory building.

High Street, and a sign with a picture of what High Street looked like in the 1800s. Not much different.

John Brown’s Fort.

Aaron exaggerating my weight, but not by much..hahaha.

Incredible panoramic views.

Adam and Jessica. They had a blast!

We crossed over this bridge while trying to keep our feet from being blown out from under us. The gusts of wind were quite ferocious and whipped up quite a sound, too! But it was worth it to traverse the path of the ferry across the Shenandoah River and the Potomac.

These stone walls and steps next to it were built in the 1800s and still stand strong.

St. Peter’s Catholic Church which served as a hospital during the fighting with John Brown and the Marines.

These old ruins of an Episcopal church reminds me of the Forgotten Garden in Kate Morton’s novel.

Jefferson Rock. When Jefferson visited Harpers Ferry, he climbed up on this rock to exclaim that it was worth the journey across the Atlantic to see the place where the Shenandoah river and the Potomac met in such splendor and lush surroundings.