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HARPERS FERRY – History, shopping, whitewater rafting and more are in close proximity to the nation’s capital and other famous sites at Harpers Ferry.
“You can’t just do it in a day, either,” said Martha Ehlman, vice president of the Harpers Ferry Merchants Association. “We would encourage people to stay.”
There are numerous bed and breakfast locations and other historic lodging sites in the town located next to Bolivar, another 19th century village. Bolivar and Harpers Ferry are linked by Washington Street, which runs through both towns. The towns themselves are surrounded by Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
“The whole are is really a tourist mecca, and we of course are the gateway to West Virginia from the east,” Ehlman said.
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and bordered by the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, the park includes approximately 4,000 acres in West Virginia, as well as Maryland and Virginia, according to its website, nps.gov/hafe. It includes about 20 miles of hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty and is the mid-point of the 2,178-mile Appalachian Scenic Trail.
The park is participating this year in the centennial celebration of the National Park Service. Special events scheduled for the remainder of the year tie in with the area’s history. While perhaps best known as the site of John Brown’s 1859 raid, the Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Historic Town Foundation notes Harpers Ferry was also the starting point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the site of three Civil War battles, the place where the Niagara movement – which eventually evolved into the NAACP – was founded and an area that encouraged African American entrepreneurs, including the builder and manager of the Hilltop House Hotel.
The hotel could once again be a part of the area’s economy, Ehlman said.
“It’s not open presently, but a developer has bought it and is hoping to make it as nice as the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, (W.Va.),” she said.
Workshops offered at the national park focus on 19th century trades, including baking, blacksmithing, sewing and gardening. There are also living history weekends throughout the year.
The rivers and scenery are significant draws, with three river rafting and outdoor recreation companies operating in the area, offering not only whitewater rafting, but zipline tours and other activities.
A fire in the shopping district last year claimed eight businesses, but five have reopened, three of them in town, including Ehlman’s Tenfold Fair Trade Collections. Demolition of three affected buildings is complete and renovations and reconstruction are ongoing.
“The fire restoration is going on,” Ehlman said. “We were able to salvage a lot of the historic stone and brick structures.”
At the same time, a beautification project undertaken by the Town of Harpers Ferry and the Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Historic Town Foundation, with the help of other entities, is underway on Potomac Street in the Lower Town area of Harpers Ferry. Multiple utility lines will be placed underground and the road paved with aggregated concrete.
With all that activity, parking can be a bit of a challenge. To address that, people are being directed to park at the Cavalier Heights Visitor Center off West Virginia 340 and take a shuttle into town from there.
“They can get into the park and the businesses that way without having the hassle of going around and looking for parking,” Ehlman said.
Shops in Harpers Ferry include the Vintage Lady, offering jewelry, clothing, gifts and West Virginia glass; the Village Shop, featuring candles, figurines, decorations, Civil War items and fresh baked goods; the Harpers Ferry Historical Association Bookshop; Harpers Ferry Wine and Gourmet; and Mary Adams Associates, with handmade jewelry, handbags, scarves and soaps.
Even with all of those attractions, Harpers Ferry and Bolivar are within an hour’s drive of Civil War sites like Antietam National battlefield in Maryland and Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, as well as Charles Town, W.Va., and the Hollywood Casino.
“We are only 60 miles from (Washington,) D.C.,” Ehlman said. “Tourists can stay in a beautiful bed and breakfast in Harpers Ferry and then take a day trip to D.C.”