Structures included in the Harpers Ferry Historic District are: 400 Ridge Street (Hilltop House Hotel), 500 Ridge Street, 550 Ridge Street, 597 Ridge Street, 601 Ridge Street, 640 Ridge Street, 661 Ridge Street, 525 McDowell Street, 570 McDowell Street, 790 Ridge Street, 791 Ridge Street, 570 Jackson Street, 800 Ridge Street, 821 Ridge Street, 841 Ridge Street, 844 Ridge Street, and 851 Ridge Street.

----Ridge Street----

116. 400 Ridge Street

Seminary Lot, Magazine Hill. Hilltop House Hotel. Stucco and rubblestone exterior, asbestos-cement composite tile roof, stone foundation. Three and a half stories under a hipped slate roof. The building has an irregular plan on several levels with different styles and materials. Three shed dormers on the façade, polygonal turret, square columns on veranda. Heavy lintels over doors and windows. 6/6 double hung sash windows. This hotel, now in frail condition, once hosted such luminary guests as Woodrow Wilson, Mark Twain, and Alexander Graham Bell, among others. Circa 1919. One contributing building.

Description from 1979 National Register Nomination: Seminary Lot, Magazine Hill: “Hilltop House Hotel, a large stone and frame three story building, originally built in the 1800’s, was a favorite vacation spot for President Woodrow Wilson, Mark Twain, Alexander G. Bell and others. The hotel remains heavily used.

118. 500 Ridge Street

Cottage. Wood siding, asphalt shingle roof, rubblestone foundation. Two and a half stories, three front bays. Gable front roof has flat roofed extensions on either side. Front flat portico with dentil frieze supported by pilasters and square columns. There are three interior brick chimneys. 2/2 double hung sash windows with slightly pedimented lintels. An oriel window is capped with a copper hood. Millwork railing and columns on stacked front porches. Daylight basement. Rear gallery supported by arched brickwork. This house may have been a Storer College summer cottage. Circa 1890. One contributing building.

119. 550 Ridge Street

American Foursquare house. Stucco and shingle exterior, asphalt shingle roof, cement foundation. Two and a half stories, four front bays. Low hipped roof features offset and flush gable chimneys. Center front dormer has a pedimented roof and walls. 4/4, 2/2 double hung sash windows. Sidelights flank the central second story window. Deep bracketed overhang on portico and curved bargeboard. Bowed recess over curved framed lintel on first floor window. Side hall entry with diamond window near. Porch has been removed and the scar has been hidden beneath a belt of fish scale shingles. One garage (noncontributing). Associated with the social history of Harpers Ferry. Circa 1910. One contributing building. One noncontributing building.

120. 597 Ridge Street (east)

Three bay I-house. Hoover Property. Wood exterior, metal roof, stone and brick foundation. Two stories, three front bays. Center hall with sidelights and transom, 2/2 double hung sash windows with decorative shutters. Doric columns on full the width front porch are joined by turned wooden posts and plain spindle railing. Gable end chimney, two story rear extension. Older brick and stucco shed building with stepped side parapets (contributing). The house originally housed the Harpers Ferry telephone exchange. Circa 1875. Two contributing buildings.

121. 601 Ridge Street (east)

American Foursquare house. Brick exterior, asphalt shingle roof, rubblestone foundation. Two and a half stories, two front bays. Hipped roof with wide eave overhang, exposed rafter rails. Ranked bays 1/1 double hung sash windows. Arched brick lintels include a wooden inset. Single hipped roof walled dormer in center front. Four Doric columns and two Doric pilasters on brick pylons support low hipped porch roof. Side hall is topped with a transom. Unequal sash sizes on first floor window. Rear veranda includes a second floor gallery. Circa 1900. One contributing building.

123. 640 Ridge Street

Gable front and wing house. Wood siding, metal roof, concrete foundation. One and one half stories. Four front bays. Jerkin head gable front roof has a shed roofed wing in a stylized bungalow application. Central chimney, 1/1 and 3/1 double hung and sliding sash windows. House is five bays deep. Circa 1930. One contributing building.

124. 661 Ridge Street

Bungalow. Stucco exterior, metal roof, concrete foundation. One and a half stories with three front bays. Center hall and 3/1 double hung sash windows flanked by decorative shutters. Left side shed roofed former, bold right side exterior chimney. Solid wood railing on front porch joins four heavy tapering square wood columns. Architecture is intact. Circa 1920. One contributing building.

----McDowell Street----

79. 525 McDowell Street

Carriage house. This wood building has a metal roof and modern sliding glass door on the façade where double barn doors formerly were. Formerly the garden lot and carriage house for the home of Civil War era physician Dr. Ransom. Circa 1860. One contributing building.

Description from 1979 National Register Nomination: Block G, Lot No. 5: “This is a one story frame carriage built by Dr. Ranson shortly after the Civil War.”

80. 570 McDowell Street

I-house. Wood siding, asphalt shingle roof, stone foundation. Two and a half stories, three front bays with 6/6 double hung sash windows and one fixed mullion window. This is a much altered four bay Federal house. A Neoclassical Revival addition on the front includes a pedimented portico with fanlight in the peak. Two offset chimneys lend strength to the façade. The original front porch engages the wall of the addition and wraps to the left, supported by six plain posts. Chimney placement suggests this might be a much older building. There is a one story addition. This cottage was built for summer use by two school teachers. Later it became the residence of the first telephone operator in Harpers Ferry. Circa 1900. One contributing building.

----Ridge Street----

128. 790 Ridge Street

American Foursquare house. Stucco exterior, metal roof, stone foundation. Two and a half stories, three front bays. Hipped roof features one chimney and two hipped roof dormers. Three ranked front bays with center hall featuring cut crystal in sidelights and door. 1/1 double hung sash windows, right side exposed brick chimney, bold window trim. Square fluted columns support low hipped front porch roof. Courtyard of brick and wood pickets surround house. Rear shed with slate roof. Circa 1910. Two contributing buildings.

129. 791 Ridge Street

Queen Anne house. Weather Watch. William Peregony, builder. The house has a wood exterior, slate roof, and rubblestone foundation. Two and a half stories have three ranked bays with 1/1 double hung sash windows. Decorative scalloped slate roof with centered gabled dormer that features a double window with bold wood lintel. Conical tower with steep roof pierces the end gable roof on the right side. Center hall is accented with a transom. The porch features a cornice of turned spindles supported by two pilasters and four turned posts capped with stylized gingerbread brackets in pairs. Two story rear extension with gallery. Lots 5 and 6 were vacant in 1859. Owners were George Ott, a bayonet polisher at the armory. Peregony was the master carpenter for Storer College. Built in 1893. One contributing building.

Description from the 1979 National Register Nomination: Block H, Lots 5 and 6: “This is a Queen Anne Victorian house, three stories, with gabled roof, tower and very ornate porches.”

----Jackson Street----

77. 570 Jackson Street

I-house. Stucco exterior, metal roof, rubblestone foundation. Two stories, three front bays. End gable metal roof with two flush gable chimneys and one offset chimney. There are brackets and a cartouche frieze at the roof/wall junction. Deep eave return, 2/1 and 2/2 double hung sash windows have bold wooden trim and slightly pedimented lintels. Front portico replaces a much larger hipped roof front porch. Four columns with Victorian machined gingerbread brackets and trim support the portico. Sidelights and transom surround the entry. Rear entry has overhanging second story. Circa 1840. One contributing building. 

----Ridge Street----

130. 800 Ridge Street

Spanish Eclectic house. Coursed rubblestone exterior, tile roof, concrete foundation. Two stories, three front bays. The house features a low hipped tile roof with wide eave overhang. Three ranked bays with center hall sheltered by a wide pedimented portico on stone pillars. Fanlight and sidelights surround entry. Mullioned six-light casement windows are arranged in triple sets. Windows feature heavy stone sills and lintels. The glassed in porch has an arched entrance to the east and rear. A potting shed of concrete block is attached. The house was constructed in the 1920s from stones of the old Rattling Spring mill on the Bakerton Road. The original owner was Gilbert Perry. Circa 1920. One contributing building.

131. 821 Ridge Street

Log house. The Old Ethel Winters Place. Pebbled stucco exterior which has replaced earlier wooden lapped siding. Metal roof, rubblestone foundation. This massed plan house has two and half stories and four front bays. End gable roof engages chimneys on each side. Deep eave returns. 2/2 double hung sash windows with bold wooden trim. The screened-in porch is supported by six wood Doric columns joined by milled railing and banister. Slightly asymmetrical placement of the entry suggests this house was constructed in phases, the earlier being the left wing. This house could possibly date from the very earliest days of Harpers Ferry settlement. Circa 1800. One contributing building.

132. 841 Ridge Street

Bungalow has wood siding, asphalt shingle roof, and a block foundation. One and a half stories have three front bays. The gable front has a center hall and double 1/1 double hung sash windows flanking it. Four bold tapering square wooden columns resting on masonry pylons support the portico. Large left side attached garage. Circa 1955. One contributing building.

133. 844 Ridge Street

Bungalow. Laurel Lodge. Coursed rubblestone, hexagonal tile roof, rubblestone foundation. Two stories, three front bays. Shed-roofed dormer in front, exposed rafter trails. 24/1 double hung sash windows with concrete lintels. Stick style brackets and ornaments on the gable ends. Two chimneys. Sidelights and transom surround entry. Rustic twig railing links the five stone porch roof supports. House has Prairie and Stick style elements. Sleeping porch to right rear. Frame building to rear of the property. Circa 1890. Two contributing buildings.

134. 851 Ridge Street

Gable front house. Brick and shingle exterior, asphalt shingle roof, and concrete foundation. It features a center hall and a central chimney, three front bays, resized sliding windows and 1/1 double hung window in center gable peak. Doric columns and spindle railings on front porch. Right side dormer and raised deck. Originally owned by Berkley Winters. Circa 1957. One contributing building.

“National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form: Harpers Ferry Historic District.” Accessed May 19, 2022. https://wvculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Harpers-ferry-historic-district.pdf. 

“Harpers Ferry Historic District (additional information).” National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet. Accessed May 6, 2022. https://wvculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Harpers-ferry-historic-district-additional-info.pdf