Harpers Ferry is a historic town in West Virginia, which is situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers where the U.S. states of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet. Harpers Ferry is best known for John Brown’s raid on the Armory in 1859 and its role in the American Civil War. The lower part of Harpers Ferry is located within Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the town is one of only a few through which the Appalachian Trail passes directly. The town’s origins date back 1751, and in 1761 built a ferry that allows crossing of the Potomac River settlers traveling to Shenandoah Valley or further west. In 1799 the US government began construction of a factory and an arsenal of weapons (United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry), through which the city gained importance as an industrial center. In 1833 Harpers Ferry has been linked with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal with Washington, and a year later in a railway line was opened Baltimore and Ohio Railroad with a bridge over the Potomac River, which helped further its industrialization. Currently, the city lost its importance. Repeated devastating floods and the fact that the construction of highway bridges a mile outside the city caused a decrease in population. Currently, it is primarily historical and recreational city.
military and historic spotsmountains and hillsparks and recreationtown squaresWest Virginia, United StatesHarpers Ferry , West Virginia, United States