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HARPERS FERRY, WEST VIRGINIA - USA
Harper's Ferry is a town located in Jefferson County, West Virginia.
Harper's Ferry is situated on the banks of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers
where Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia meet. The town is surrounded by
mountains and is at the bottom of a ravine created by the two rivers. The
town in most known historically for John Brown's raid on the Armory in 1859.
The town was in Virginia at the time of the raid; West Virginia was created
in 1863. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 307.
History
In 1751, Robert Harper was given a patent on 125 acres (0.5 km˛) at the
present location of the town. In 1761, Harper established a ferry across the
Potomac making the town a starting point for settlers moving into the
Shenandoah Valley and further west. In 1763, the Virginia General Assembly
established the town of "Shenandoah Falls at Mr. Harper's Ferry."
On October 25, 1783, Thomas Jefferson visited Harpers Ferry. He viewed "the
passage of the Patowmac though the Blue Ridge" from a rock which is now
named for him.
George Washington as president of the Patowmack Company (which was formed to
complete river improvements on the Potomac and its tributaries) traveled to
Harpers Ferry during the summer of 1785 to determine the need for bypass
canals. In 1794, Washington's familiarity with the area lead him to propose
the site as the location for a new federal armory and arsenal. Some of
Washington's family moved to the area; his great-great nephew, Col. Lewis
Washington, was held hostage during Brown's raid.
The United States Armory and Arsenal was established in the town in 1799 and
the town was transformed into an industrial centre. Between 1801 and the
outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, the Armory produced more than
600,000 muskets, rifles, and pistols. The inventor John H. Hall pioneered
the use of interchangeable parts in firearms manufacture at his Rifle Works
in the town between 1820-1840.
This industrialization continued in 1833 when the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
reached the town. The canal linked Harpers Ferry with Washington DC. A year
later, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad arrived.
The Civil War was disastrous for Harpers Ferry. Given the town's strategic
location on the railroad and at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley,
both Union and Confederate troops moved through Harpers Ferry frequently.
One battle during the war, the Battle of Harper's Ferry, was fought here. In
fact, the town changed hands eight times between 1861 and 1865.
Geography
Harpers Ferry is located at 39°19'31" North, 77°44'37" West (39.325398,
-77.743599).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of
1.6 km˛ (0.6 mi˛). 1.5 km˛ (0.6 mi˛) of it is land and 0.2 km˛ (0.1 mi˛) of
it is water. The total area is 9.68% water.
Today, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal right-of-way has been made into a park,
with the C&O Canal Trail following the old towpath from Harpers Ferry to
Washington, DC.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 307 people, 153 households, and 89
families residing in the town. The population density is 211.7/km˛ (552.2/mi˛).
There are 189 housing units at an average density of 130.3/km˛ (339.9/mi˛).
The racial makeup of the town is 89.90% White, 9.12% African American, 0.33%
Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races,
and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population are Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There are 153 households out of which 17.6% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 45.1% are married couples living together, 11.8% have a
female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% are non-families.
36.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.8% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.01 and the average family size is 2.56.
In the town the population is spread out with 17.3% under the age of 18,
2.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 47 years. For every 100
females there are 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 92.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $52,344, and the median
income for a family is $70,313. Males have a median income of $45,417 versus
$22,708 for females. The per capita income for the town is $29,638. 2.2% of
the population and 3.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 2.8% are under the age of 18 and 0.0% are 65
or older.
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