Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the north east corner of West Virginia sitting where the Potomac River and the Shenandoah River run together you will find Harpers Ferry. Now it is a home to 300 plus people and surrounded by a national park. Of course that is 300 plus “living” people as the town of Harpers Ferry is one of the most haunted places in America.
The history of Harpers Ferry starts as far back as 1732 when Peter Stephens settled the area and had squatter’s rights to it. Those rights were bought 15 years later by Ron Harper who ran ferries across both rivers and built a gristmill there. The first house he built was taken by the Shenandoah River in flooding.
He started a bigger home on higher ground around the time of the revolution. Laborers were hard to find then and now Harper, up in years, found he had to do most of the work. There were many problems with thieves in the area and with his failing health, Harper instructed his wife to bury all their gold and not tell anyone where it was. Ron Harper died before the house was complete and Mrs. Harper tried to finish the house her husband had started. She fell off a ladder however and died instantly, taking the secret of the gold with her.
The area began to grow when in 1796 a decision was made that would forever change the destiny of this town, George Washington chose this area to build an armory. This lead to one of the first brushes with history related to this town. In 1820, John Hall set up a musket making shop in town and by 1830 had pioneered a mass production technique that later was used to create the assembly line.
Then in 1859 came John Brown. Brown was a very strict in his Calvinistic beliefs and decided to rid the South of slavery. His plan was to lead 18 men into Harpers Ferry and take the armory and then arm all the slaves that would eventually rush to his aid and set up a free state. His planned worked to perfection until the shooting started and the real army came in. After a day of fighting the town militia has cornered the few remaining Brown troops, including John Brown in the engine house. Then Colonel Robert E. Lee came in and stormed the engine house and the whole incident was over. John Brown was captured and a couple weeks later sent to the gallows.
Add to that three major Civil War battles at Harpers Ferry and you understand why there is a lot of paranormal activity reported all over the town. One of these is called the Phantom Army. It was 1798 America was close to war with France. Troops were sent to Harpers Ferry and though while waiting for a war that never started, paraded down Main Street every night. Though they never went to battle, many fell victim to a cholera outbreak and are buried at Camp Hill. It is claimed they still march through town with fifes and drums.
At St. Peters Catholic Church, a young wounded civil war soldier waiting to be taken into the church to be treated was aid to say “”Thank God I’m Saved” as he went over the threshold of the church and died. Claims are that there is a golden glow in the threshold of the church as well as hearing a voice say “Thank God I’m Saved”.
Also Mrs. Harper is seen in an upper room looking out over what was the old Harper Garden. Still keeping watch over her gold? There is a story of a woman named Jenny who got too close to a fire and caught her dress on fire. In a panic, she ran out and down the railroad tracks and got hit by a train. Claims are from engineers seeing a ball of fire going down the tracks and a woman screaming.
There are several more paranormal stories coming from Harpers Ferry and the town features ghost tours nightly and an interesting walk through history. When you visit ask about the 100 Day Men, Dangerfield Newby and of course the ghost of John Brown.
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