Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Town
Aerial view of Harpers Ferry from Maryland Heights at the confluence of the Shenandoah (left) and Potomac rivers
Location of Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County, West Virginia
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Show map of Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Show map of West Virginia Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°19′27″N 77°44′2″W
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Jefferson
Area [1]
• Total	0.62 sq mi (1.62 km^2)
• Land	0.54 sq mi (1.39 km^2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.23 km^2)
Elevation	489 ft (149 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	269
• Density	502.8/sq mi (194.1/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	25425
Area code	304
FIPS code	54-35284[3]
GNIS feature ID	1560593[4]
Website	www.harpersferrywv.us

Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States.^[a] In some cases the name Harper's Ferry has been spelled using an apostrophe.^[b] Harpers Ferry sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. This is where the U.S. states of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet. It is the easternmost town in West Virginia. The original, lower section of the town is located on a low-lying floodplain created by the two rivers. It is surrounded by higher ground on all sides. Historically, Harpers Ferry is best known for John Brown's raid on the Armory in 1859 and its role in the American Civil War.^[7] During the war, between 1861 and 1865, the town changed hands between Union and Confederate forces 14 times.^[8] The Battle of Harpers Ferry resulted in the largest surrender by Union Army soldiers in the Civil War.^[8]

The population was 269 at the 2020 census.^[2]

Notes

1. Prior to West Virginia becoming a state in 1863, Harpers Ferry was located in Virginia.^[5]
2. For example: Horace Greeley, The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States of America, 1860-64. Volume: 1. (1866), p. 279; French Ensor Chadwick, Causes of the Civil War, 1859-1861 (1906) p. 74; Allan Nevins, The Emergence of Lincoln (1950) v, 2 ch 3; James M. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (1988), p. 201; Stephen W. Sears, Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam (2003) p. 116. The popular usage is without the apostrophe.^[6]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
2. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Harpers Ferry town, West Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 27, 1996. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "West Virginia". History. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
6. "Apostrophes don't always make the cut". The Virginian-Pilot. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}
7. "Harpers Ferry Town Website". Retrieved 29 June 2016.
8. "Ten Facts about Harpers Ferry". Civil War Trust. Retrieved 29 June 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}