Harper Cemetery, perched on a hill above Harpers Ferry, is the final resting place for many of the town’s early prominent residents, including members of the Harper family for whom the town is named. Established in the 19th century, it offers both historical significance and some of the best elevated views over the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. The cemetery reflects the town’s layered past—headstones mark the graves of Civil War soldiers, local leaders, and ordinary townspeople whose lives were tied to the industrial and political shifts that defined Harpers Ferry. Its quiet, scenic location makes it both a historical landmark and a contemplative vantage point over the town’s storied landscape.
Harpers Ferry is historically significant as the site of John Brown’s 1859 raid on the federal armory, an event that intensified national tensions over slavery and helped precipitate the Civil War. Its strategic location at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers made it a critical transportation and industrial hub in the 19th century, and during the war it changed hands between Union and Confederate forces multiple times. The town’s history reflects the intersection of abolitionism, military strategy, and early American industry, making it a key landmark in understanding the political and social fractures that shaped the United States.
