Institution

Official Website of the Historic Shepherdstown Commission 

Website

203 E German St, adjacent to the Yellow Brick Bank. A complex of three structures built for the Shepherd family as a town home, including a small rectangular brick building (which served as a doctor’s office from c. 1850 to 1890), a carriage house (converted into a tea room and tourist inn c.1920), and a Greek Revival brick house with iron grill work on the front said to have been brought from New Orleans by a member of the Shepherd family. Author Willa Cather spent a summer at the Gray Lodge working on a novel.

Gray Lodge 

My WV trip

The Shepherd District Free School was built in 1848.
Jefferson County had the honor of establishing the Free School system in West
Virginia. Jefferson County authorized the creating of the system in 1847 and
divided the district into 24 school districts. Three of the districts were in
Shepherdstown and the Free School was built in District 3. J. P. A. Entler was
the first commissioner of the Shepherd School. The school was closed in 1881,
when the second and third districts were combined. 

Upton S. Martin gave the school to the state in 1961
for the University to use as a museum. Martin donated the building in honor of
his father, a Shepherdstown mayor for six years and a member of the West
Virginia House of Delegates for six years. The building was used by the
University for storage. Today the building is used as the Shepherdstown Visitor’s
Center.&nbsp;

SE Corner of New and Princess Sts. One of the two public schoolhouses in town built by the state of Virginia in 1848, it continues to serve the cause of education as office space for Shepherd University professors. It is believed to be the oldest free schoolhouse in West Virginia.

Shepherdstown District Free School 

SE corner of Princess and German Sts. Owner J. Matt Tolliver seems to have been the downtown area’s first successful Black businessman. His name appears in the town records during the years 1877 to 1908. After his popular restaurant burned in 1894, he built this brick building, where he ran a hotel and ice cream parlor. From 1899 to 1909 the town granted him an annual hotel license.

Tolliver's Hotel and Ice Cream Parlor

Established on an ancient Native American&nbsp;route, Shepherdstown&nbsp;originated as&nbsp;a farming community named Mecklenburg by the German immigrants that began settling in the area in the middle 1700s, Shepherdstown became an important center of trade along the&nbsp;Virginia colonial frontier. The Entler Hotel is one of Shepherdstown's historical icons. The land around the museum was included in a&nbsp;deed from 1767 to a man named Christian Cookus.1&nbsp;In 1786, Phillip Entler bought the west part of the lot from Cookus and built a brick house. This house burned in 1912. Cookus developed the rest of the property, building a two-story brick building to the east of Philip Entler and another building with an entrance on Princess Street. Eventually, Daniel Bedinger, who marched with Captain Stephenson on the Beeline March, purchased the remaining property and built a three-story structure that butted up against both of Cookus' buildings.2&nbsp;Eventually, Bedinger owned all the property that now makes up the Entler Hotel. In 1809, James Brown leased the building, and began operating a grocery store on the corner and sublet what is now the museum for a tavern. The “Globe Tavern” offered overnight accommodations and became a well-known meeting place in Shepherdstown. The hotel was entered from the Princess street entrance. Around 1811, the town council began meeting in the tavern. Brown and Edward Lucas bought the property in 1815. In 1820, Brown sold the property to Thomas Crown of Washington City. Daniel Entler, the grandson of Philip Entler, began managing the hotel.5&nbsp;In 1824, Daniel Entler became the proprietor of the entire complex which now contained 24 rooms, 19 fireplaces, three cellars and three kitchens. It was known as Daniel Entler's Tavern or Hotel, until 1850, when it was shortened to the Entler Hotel. Entler and his six children lived in the original Philip Entler House on the west side of the lot.&nbsp; The Entler Hotel was used a Union hospital after the Battle of Antietam. Hotel operations continued until 1912 when a downtown fire damaged several buildings, including the Entler.3 The hotel was renovated and reopened in 1914 as the Hotel Rumsey. Hotel operations ceased for the last time in 1917, and the property was eventually acquired by Shepherd College. The college opened the building as a men's dormitory named Rumsey Hall. It was used for a limited time for U.S. Navy and Air Force Cadets before being converted to faculty housing. Concerned locals saved the building from demolition in 1972 and petitioned to have the building placed&nbsp;on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In 1979, an organization named “Historic Shepherdstown” began renovating the property and opened the museum in 1983.Historic Shepherdstown and Museum is dedicated to preserving the heritage of Shepherdstown, its history, and architecture. The group worked to have the National Register of Historic Places designation extended to include the Shepherdstown Historic District. Some of the artifacts displayed in the museum include three clocks made by Jacob Kraft in the late 1700s, several Sheetz rifles, and many other items dating from the Revolutionary period. There are also items displaying items from the early 1800s.
Many of the hotel’s rooms have been recreated to reflect different periods in the town’s history. The Civil War display has been set to portray&nbsp;the lives of five different people as they lived in 1861, the dawn of the Civil War. The lives reflected represent a child, a slave, a preacher, a soldier, and a matriarch. Each room demonstrates life as it was lived by these segments of society. Another of the museum’s exhibits is the working replica of James Rumsey’s steamboat. The ship is housed in a boathouse located in the Entler’s garden area. This functional replica was built by the Rumseian Society, a&nbsp;group that seeks to preserve and promote the inventive genius&nbsp;of Shepherdstown’s James Rumsey. Rumsey invented his steamboat twenty years before Robert Fulton demonstrated his ship.4

Historic Shepherdstown Museum is located in the former Entler Hotel. The museum details the history of Shepherdstown and houses many historical artifacts crafted by local artisans. Rooms are arranged to reflect the history of the community at different periods, ranging from the colonial era to the 20th century. At lunchtime on weekdays, local historians present oral accounts of the town's history. The museum also features an archives room for genealogical and historical research. The working replica of James Rumsey’s steamboat is housed in a boathouse on the museum’s grounds.

Historic Shepherdstown and Museum

This building sits in the middle of King Street, originally this area served as a market space in the 1700s. The town built the market house in 1800, placing the shipping post and public hog pen on the south end. Offenders of Town ordinances suffered public punishment; loose hogs could also be seized for public auction. The building was originally a single story with large doors in the front and the back, a typical layout for a market house. In 1845, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows approached the town about adding a second story to the Market House, in exchange for a 999 year lease. The Order needed a meeting room, and ritual demanded that it be located on the second floor with opaque windows to preserve the secrecy surrounding the meetings. The building contains a Seeing Eye symbol above the front door. The work was completed and the second story served as the Order’s meeting room until 1962.When the town market closed in 1854, the town enclosed the stalls in brick walls and turned the building into a firehouse. The Market House served as a makeshift hospital during the nearby Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Throughout the Civil War, the building was used by the U.S. military as a holding area for soldiers. The building also served as council chambers, private school, and meat market. In 1926, the Shepherstown Women’s Club took over the bottom floor of the building for a public library, but they were not alone. The Women’s Club shared the building with the town jail. The library was operated by the club, funded by donations, and staffed by dedicated volunteers for fifty years. Despite limited funding, the library thrived. The town removed the jail cells, after much persuasion, in 1948, and in 1962, the Women’s Club bought the lease from the Order of Odd Fellows and took possession of the upstairs, which become a children’s department. In 1971, the Women’s Club turned the library over to the state and it continues to operate as a library today.

Located in the heart of Shepherdstown, the Shepherdstown Public Library was built in the 1800s as a market house, offering local farmers a sheltered place to sell their wares. It has also been home to the fire department, the town council offices, a butcher shop, a school, and the local jail. Today, it is the home of a thriving library. 

Old Market House - Shepherdstown Public Library

The first train station in Shepherdstown was built
around 1880. The wooden structure built on S. Princess street was built be
1884, because The Shepherdstown Register reported that the safe was robbed.
This first station served both freight and passenger trains. The current
station was built just for passengers and the old station continued to serve freight
trains.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a> The new station was
completed in 1909. The station was a gem for the community, the design was the
Norfolk and Western’s top of the line blueprint. The station had a 250-foot
shed along the tracks so that people could wait outside no matter the weather.
The station was segregated with one waiting room for whites and one for colored
people. The station had many modern conveniences for the time: restrooms,
running water, heating system, drainage system, and electric lights.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a> 

In 1957, the Shepherdstown Station was closed due to
the Norfolk and Western losses. There was less of a need for trains as the
automobile became more popular, after WWII. For a while, the railroad used the
station for storage, until the Corporation of Shepherdstown wanted to preserve
the station. In 1992. Shepherdstown got the last of the funding to begin the
project and preserve the building for community and health services.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[3]</a> The Corporation of
Shepherdstown bought the station from the railroad in 1996. The construction
was finished in 2001. Today the building is managed by the Station at
Shepherdstown, Inc. 

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<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>&nbsp;When Trains Came to Shepherdstown. The Station of Shepherdstown. Accessed July 14, 2017. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://stationatshepherdstown.com/our_history.htm">http://stationatshepherdstown.com/our_history.htm</a>.&nbsp;

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<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>&nbsp;When Trains Came to Shepherdstown. The Station of Shepherdstown. Accessed July 14, 2017. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://stationatshepherdstown.com/our_history.htm">http://stationatshepherdstown.com/our_history.htm</a>.&nbsp;

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<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>&nbsp;When Trains Came to Shepherdstown. The Station of Shepherdstown. Accessed July 14, 2017. <a href="http://stationatshepherdstown.com/our_history.htm">http://stationatshepherdstown.com/our_history.htm</a>.&nbsp;

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Between E German and E High Sts., on Audrey Egle Dr. The Norfolk and Western Railroad built the passenger station in 1909. Waiting rooms and rest rooms were segregated. After nearly a half century of service, passenger traffic ended in 1957 and the station closed, to be used by the railroad for storage. In 1996 the railroad deeded the passenger station to the town for $1.00, and the building was restored and redesigned as a multiple use facility.

Train Station 

A revolutionary war veteran and German immigrant, Michael Yeasley was one of the founding members of Shepherdstown. Yeasley and his wife Mott Llana Yeasley were some of the first German immigrants who settled along the Potomac River. The group laid out plans for a town they called Mechlenburg. This name was in use until 1960 when it was changed to the current name of Shepherdstown after Thomas Shepherd, the owner of a gristmill.   Yeasley was an involved community member and businessman. He was a weaver and marketed his products out of his home. Yeasley and his wife would raise their seven daughters in this home. The home, named after their family, was built in 1790. It is constructed from limestone and predates the majority of the town's brick buildings. This was one of many properties owned by Yeasley and part of the home was the location of his mercantile store.   The Yeasley family attended Christ Reformed United Church of Christ a popular German Reformed Church. The church building on East German St. is still standing and opened in 1839, but the church itself was formed much earlier. In 1795, Yeasley began a collection to fund the purchase of bells for the church. He believed that the bells would help encourage more regular and faithful church attendance. The collection included money, jewelry, belt buckles, and other treasured items donated by the congregation. The bells were purchased in Germany and shipped to Baltimore. From there, they were brought to Shepherdstown on a wagon pulled by oxen. An inscription on the largest bell reads "Rouen" and "1732." This has led historians to believe the bells were made in France and sold from Germany many years later. These bells were so significant to Yeasley, that he requested to be buried at the foot of the church's bell tower. To this day the bells are in use by the church.

This limestone home built in 1790 was constructed for the Yeasley family. The home is older than the majority of brick structures in the area. Revolutionary War veteran Michael Yeasley and his family were German immigrants and a part of the original group of settlers in Mechlenburg, what is now Shepherdstown. Yeasley was a dedicated member of the German Reformed Church and organized the purchase of church bells for the Christ Reformed United Church of Christ. 

Yeasley House

126 W German St. Abutting Bedinger’s law office, it was Lindsey’s Tavern in 1800. By the mid 1800s it had become the site of the flourishing general store of John McEndree.

Alexander Lindsey's Tavern 

The Opera House was built by former Shepherdstown Mayor, U. S. Martin, in 1909. That year, it was sold to the Musser family who installed a motion picture projector, one of the earliest.[1] “The Opera House ran nightly, often showing as many as three different films each week.”[2] In 1928, the Opera House began to show the newfangled “talkies” because they were the first motion picture theatre in West Virginia with sound.Unfortunately, the Mussers closed the Opera House in 1956. “It sat dark and silent until it was purchased by Pam and Rusty Berry. After an Extensive renovation following the Department of the Interior guidelines for the restoration of historic structures, the Berrys reopened the Opera House in February 1992 and began showing American Independent and foreign films. In 2004, they added new lighting and sound systems to accommodate live musical and theatrical performances onstage.”[3]In 2010, Lawrence and Julie Cumbo purchased the Opera House, hoping to take the business to the next level. Lawrence is a filmmaker and wanted to preserve the Opera House tradition, while also making music a part of the Opera House culture. “Since then, continual light and sound system upgrades, an expanded back stage, and a revamped green room has allowed this vision to grow into one of the area’s finest music and film venues.[4]The Cumbos described their original vision for the theater, “Our original motivation was to turn it into a community-based theater offering live music, performing arts, and fine films—and to create a uniquely historic and intimate place to entertain people in Shepherdstown and beyond.”[5] But “Because of the change in studios making less films, and distributors buying less independent films,” he explained, “we’ve evolved to hosting major film festivals throughout the years, including our new film series, Rusty Mondays, which is devoted to Rusty Berry.”[6]

131 W German St. The Opera House replaced a one hundred year old building in 1909. Here moving pictures were shown continuously until 1956. Thirty-five years later, after extensive renovation, it reopened as a movie theater. It is currently used as a venue for both film and live music.


Opera House

Trinity Episcopal Church
was the first English Church (Anglican) in Shepherdstown, predating the
incorporation of the town. The first church building was built in 1745 as a
part of the Fredrick Parish in Winchester, Virginia. The building was a wooden
structure, known as the “Old English Church.”<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>
Another more permanent structure was built out of stone on the corner of High
Street and Church Street in 1769. The building was known as “Mecklenburg Chapel,”
“the building fell into disrepair because of neglect due to the
disestablishment of the Anglican Church in Virginia. In 1815, the church
building was renovated by the first vestry of the newly Saint Andrews Parish.
In 1840 – 1842, the building was expanded, By the early 1800s it was known as
Trinity Church.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a> In 1854, the church
decided to build a new building on German Street because the 1842 renovations
were now too small. 

<div>The town’s founder, Thomas Shepherd, willed the lot upon which the structure stands to the church parish in 1776. After the Revolution, the building fell into neglect with the disestablishment of Anglicanism in Virginia. In about 1815, the church was rebuilt. The first use of the name Trinity Church appears in the records in 1836. A clock given by Rezin D. Shepherd remained in the tower here from 1841 to 1858. After the Civil War, the Old English Church became the first Freedman’s School and the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The original steeple blew off in a storm in the 1890s. Today the property is privately owned. 





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<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>&nbsp;Harrah, Dianne. Houses of Worship. Wolf Run Studios. Accessed July 08, 2017. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wolfrunstudio.com/PAGES/pg_hwp20.html">http://www.wolfrunstudio.com/PAGES/pg_hwp20.html</a>.&nbsp;

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<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>&nbsp;Our History. Trinity Episcopal Church. Accessed July 08, 2017. <a href="http://www.trinityshepherdstown.org/our-history/" title="Link: http://www.trinityshepherdstown.org/our-history/">http://www.trinityshepherdstown.org/our-history/</a>.&nbsp;

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SE corner of Church and High Sts. The “Old English Church” began as a log cabin in 1745. A stone structure called the Mecklenburg Chapel replaced the original building in 1769. Though it has gone through several renovations, the basic structure of 1769 still remains. It is among the earliest surviving church buildings west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Old Trinity Church 

The community that became Shepherdstown was originally called&nbsp;Mechlenburg-a name that reflects the German heritage of many early settlers along the Potomac River in this section of the colony of&nbsp;Virginia. In&nbsp;1798, residents renamed their community in honor of&nbsp;Thomas Shepherd, an early settler who arrived in 1739. Shepherd&nbsp;operated the area's first&nbsp;gristmill and later&nbsp;surveyed and&nbsp;sold many of the town lots.&nbsp;

This historic bed and breakfast was built as a parsonage for St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in 1868. The Federal-style home served the church in this capacity until 1936, when the property was sold to Halvard Wanger and Sarah Elizabeth McFetridge, a husband-and-wife team of physicians who expanded the building to provide space for examination rooms and offices. In 1983, Ed and Carol Ringroot purchased the property and converted it into a bed and breakfast named in honor of town founder Thomas Shepherd.

Thomas Shepherd Inn

From the corner of Princess and High Sts, N Princess makes a steep descent to the Potomac. Town Run falls here through a steep ravine where once gristmills, sawmills, manufacturing mills and warehouses took advantage of the water’s power. The only building left is the tobacco warehouse, authorized by Virginia’s General Assembly in 1788. The large stone building perhaps replaced an earlier wooden structure c.1800.

Town Run Waterpower Area and Tobacco Warehouse 

at the bottom of N Princess St. At the rivers edge, one stands at the border between West Virginia and Maryland. Here too is the former ferry landing, still in use as a boat ramp. The old piers in the river supported several bridges from 1849- 1936. The former bridge tollhouse, built in 1850, remains as a private residence.

Ferry Landing and Bridge Tollhouse 

During the early years of the Civil War, before West Virginia became a separate state, the Potomac River served as the boundary between western Virginia in the Confederacy and Maryland in the Union. Due to its location on the Potomac River near one of the main river crossings in the area, Shepherdstown saw constant movement of Union and Confederate troops during the war. In addition, due to the amount of raiding and small skirmishes in Jefferson County, there were several engagements in the vicinity of Shepherdstown as well as the destruction of property, such as the burning of Fountain Rock by Union troops. The largest period of activity in Shepherdstown was during Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s 1862 Maryland Campaign. Sharpsburg, MD is directly across the Potomac from Shepherdstown and almost immediately the Confederate wounded of the Battle of Antietam were evacuated into the town. After fighting to a stalemate on September 17, the Army of Northern Virginia began its retreat into Virginia on the evening of September 18. General Lee used the ford at Shepherdstown to recross the Potomac into Confederate territory and the wounded flooded the town, overwhelming the civilian population attempting to house and care for thousands of men. The families of Shepherdstown continued to care for sick and injured men until November, as they gradually were transferred to Confederate hospitals elsewhere in Virginia. Union troops pursued the retreating Confederate army which led to the only battle at Shepherdstown. The Battle of Shepherdstown on September 19-20 was one of the largest battles in what would become the state of West Virginia (see marker #4). After 1863, Jefferson County was part of the new state of West Virginia. Many of the citizens of the county remained loyal to the South and continued to fight in Virginia units. With Union troops often stationed at Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg as well as the campaigns of Generals David Hunter, Jubal Early, and Philip Sheridan during the Valley Campaign of 1864 and the raids of John S. Mosby in 1864-1865 Shepherdstown constantly felt the effects of the war.  About the Monuments: This series of monuments and accompanying tour pamphlet were part of an initiative from the Jefferson County Camp, United Confederate Veterans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil War. In 1910 Col. R. Preston Chew and the Jefferson County UCV raised the funds to place 25 concrete obelisks in Jefferson County to mark locations of engagement or other significant events. The following year the Camp published a pamphlet to accompany the obelisks and give more information about each location. This was Military Operations in Jefferson County, Virginia (Now West Virginia), 1861-1865 published in 1911. The pamphlet has been reprinted several times by the Henry Kyd Douglas Camp, No. 199 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Because the monuments and accompanying pamphlet were done by Confederate veterans it is likely that the locations and descriptions are biased towards or favor the Confederate view and experience of the war.  Original Text from the 1911 Pamphlet: "Marker Number ThreeShepherdstown Through Four Years of War Marker No. 3, planted on the pike south of Shepherdstown near the cemetery, marks no particular battle, but we record some incidents worthy of notice. After the battle of Sharpsburg, the town was literally filled with wounded Confederates. Every available house was occupied and many private residences as well. Hospital flags seemed to float everywhere. At the time of Lee’s retreat, the Federal artillery threw many shells over the town, a few falling in it, but not much damage was done. Frequent raids were made into the town by the Confederates, and some captures made by either side. Occasionally a Reb would steal into the town to see the home folks, or the girl maybe, and be gobbled up and taken to Fort Delaware or Point Lookout. The country was without law for the four years, and robbery was frequent by men claiming to be sent by the Federal government, which, in some instances, was true. There was no recourse. Several cold-blood murders were committed by scalawag army followers, and no investigation made. Most of this was in the vicinity of Shepherdstown. Two companies, from the town and surrounding neighborhood, served in the Confederate army from the beginning to the close of the war—one a cavalry, and the other, an infantry company. The infantry company, known as the Hamtranck Guards, was organized by Colonel Hamtranck of Mexican War fame. The organization was kept up, and did service in the Brown Raid; and when the war came on it was assigned to the Second Virginia Infantry as Company B, and did its part in all the battles where the regiment was engaged. They were as well drilled as regulars, and as loyal to the South as any troops in the Confederate Army. Very few escaped wounds or death. Company F, First Virginia Cavalry, organized in peace times before the Brown Raid, and commanded by Captain Jacob Reinhart at the time of the Raid, was afterward reorganized and recruited to about one hundred and twelve men, commanded by Captain Morgan. This Company was assigned to First Virginia Cavalry at the beginning of the war. Most of the men were fine horsemen and at home in the saddle—well drilled and equipped. In justice to this Company, it can be said without question, that no cavalry company in the Army of Northern Virginia did more or better service than the First Virginia Cavalry, which included company F, commanded by Colonel Stuart, afterward General in command of all the cavalry in Lee’s army. They did service for the whole army, for a short while, at the beginning. They were drilled and schooled by Stuart in person, in military duties, discipline, endurance, bravery, and patriotism which could be seen to the end of the war. It suffered heavily in killed, wounded, and in prisoners taken. Jefferson County furnished to the Confederacy five infantry companies, viz—A, B, G, H and K, to the Second Virginia Infantry, four Cavalry Companies, viz—A, B and D, to the Twelfth, and company F to the First Virginia Cavalry; and Chew’s Battery. Many joined other commands. The county was about depopulated of young men. These companies did active service in the field, cut off from home the greater part of the time."

This is marker #3 in a series of obelisks erected in 1910 by the Jefferson County Camp, United Confederate Veterans to mark locations of engagements and other significant Civil War events in Jefferson County. This obelisk represents the numerous events that occurred in and around Shepherdstown during the Civil War and the men from Jefferson County who served in the Confederate military.  

UCV Civil War Military Operations Marker #3: Shepherdstown During the Civil War

Shepherdstown's location on the C &amp; O Canal led to its growth after 1832. This area became an important location for the Confederacy, which crossed into Maryland during three major military operations including the&nbsp;Antietam campaign in 1862.The Battle of Shepherdstown was the bloodiest battle ever fought in what is now West Virginia and it occurred in this area between September 19-20, 1862.&nbsp;That battle resulted in a Confederate victory, though both sides suffered heavy losses. The outcome signaled the end of the Maryland Campaign and, with the Confederate troops driven from Union soil, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. As the final battle of the Maryland Campaign, the 1862 Battle of Shepherdstown may have significantly changed the course of the American Civil War. The Maryland Campaign of the Army of Northern Virginia is generally acknowledged as the turning point of the war and&nbsp; involved three battles: South Mountain, Antietam, and Shepherdstown. Undertaken in early September, 1862, the objective of the campaign was to win over the citizens of Maryland to the Confederate cause, and to win a military engagement in the north. The south hoped such a victory would convince the governments of England and France to recognize the legitimacy of the Confederacy.1 Following the bloody Battle of Antietam, the Army of Northern Virginia retreated across the Potomac River via Boteler's Ford, located a mile east of Shepherdstown. General Lee assigned Major General Pendleton to cover the retreat, leaving behind 35 pieces of artillery and infantry troops on the river's southern shore. The artillery was stationed on bluffs overlooking the ford and nearby dam. The retreat was completed by mid-afternoon on September 19th. General Lee intended to re-enter Maryland at Williamsport to continue the campaign. However, by the next morning, a detachment of General Fitz-John Porter's V Corps attacked the Confederate rearguard and captured several pieces of artillery. Porter sent units from two divisions across the river to establish a bridgehead. The actions prompted Hill's division to counterattack, inflicting devastating casualties on the 118th Pennsylvania "Corn Exchange" Regiment. Consequently, the Federalists did not pursue.&nbsp;The failure by McClellan to follow the retreating Confederate army resulted in his subsequent dismissal by President Lincoln. This Battle is notable for being the bloodiest conflict in what is now West Virginia, with 366 Union casualties (73 killed, 163 wounded, 132 captured/missing), and
307 (36 killed, 267 wounded, 6 captured/missing) on the Confederate side. The marker on the right discusses the third and final attempt of the Confederacy to cross into Maryland at this location. In 1864,&nbsp;Early invaded Maryland with plans to attack communities between this location and Washington in hopes of drawing Union troops from their assault on Richmond to this area in order to release pressure on Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Owing to the size of the Union army by this time, Early's campaign had little effect and his men soon found themselves retreating from the federals in the Shenandoah Valley.

Located along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, these historical markers share the history of Shepherdstown and its role in the Civil War. The marker of the left offers a general history of Shepherdstown from its Native inhabitants and growth as a stop along the C&O Canal to the history of the town during the Civil War. The marker on the right offers a detailed history of the 1964 Confederate raid of Jubal A. Early. Early's men crossed Blackford's Ford near this marker as part of the Confederacy's third and final attempt to invade Maryland. Although Early's raid led the Union to send troops to the area, it did not significantly alter the Union's offensive in Virginia as Confederate leaders had hoped.  

Shepherdstown and Blackford's Ford Historical Markers

On the evening of September 16th,&nbsp;1862, Union General George McClellan ordered Major General Joseph Hooker to cross the creek where Confederate troops were located. For reasons that are not entirely clear, Hooker's army did not engage the Confederates immediately.&nbsp;In the early hours of&nbsp;September&nbsp;17th, both Union and Confederate artillery began firing upon enemy position.&nbsp;The first infantry engagement occurred near Dunker Church where&nbsp;Major General Hooker attacked a&nbsp;Texas Brigade. Hooker was in need of reinforcements to press his momentum and possibly push the Confederates back from their defensive position, but men under Confederate General John Hood prevented reinforcements from arriving. As the day continued, the situation grew worse for the Union. The battle moved to the sunken road aptly named “Bloody Lane” where Major General Daniel Hill’s 2,600 Confederates stopped the Union army from advancing further. Hill’s men held ground against a much larger Union force but could only delay the Union advance through the middle of the Confederate line. The carnage was so great as the Union advanced against the Confederate defenders that the low-lying road earned the moniker “Bloody Lane.”&nbsp; General Ambrose Burnside and his division were ordered to launch an attack from the lower part of a Rohrbach&nbsp;Bridge against the Confederate artillery on the hillside. The Confederates had an advantage as they were able to defend their position and use trees as covers while the Union had to use a narrow road to cross a bridge that was under fire from Confederate artillery. The Union tried two times to cross the bridge and failed both times until they regroup for a third attack. The 51st Pennsylvania and the 51st New York, commanded by Col. John Hartranft, was ordered to take the bridge and the highland. According to legend, the men asked if they would be rewarded with extra whiskey if they successfully dislodged the Confederate defenders. After two hours of heavy fighting and high casualties, the Union crossed the bridge but lost over 500 men in the process. This allowed the Union to drive the Confederates from their position and gave the Union control of the highlands.&nbsp; As the Federal forces began to the collapse the Confederate right flank, the timely arrival of General AP Hill’s Division helped drive the Union forces back, and allow Lee to escape back to Virginia. The battle cost both sides 22,720 casualties and 3,650 dead. Antietam was the bloodiest one-day battle of the war and there was no clear victor. However, Lee's army was too devastated to continue an offensive in Northern territory which allowed the Union to claim a technical victory as Union generals never lost command of the field.&nbsp;Antietam was the first major victory of the Army of the Potomac over Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The Union victory at Antietam helped solidify Lincoln’s position in Washington because the President was able to issue the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation which announced that the Union would consider all slaves in rebel territory free after the end of the year. The Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in January 1863, and although it only applied to areas in rebellion rather than lands Lincoln's armies controlled, the proclamation demonstrated that the issue of slavery was at the center of the war and signalled that Lincoln would no longer be content to return to the status quo as a nation divided "half slave and half free"&nbsp;The Emancipation Proclamation also reduced the likelihood of European help for the South given the sentiment of most European leaders against chattel slavery after Britain outlawed the practice in their colonies. The Union's ability to stop Lee's offensive coupled with the President's decision to move closer to abolitionist Frederick Douglass's vision of a war for emancipation came at a time when several European powers were considering support for the Confederacy in order to preserve advantageous trade relationships with Southern ports and merchants.&nbsp;Reflecting the historiographical shift towards interpreting military and social history simultaneously, leading historians such as James McPherson began interpreting the battle as a pivotal moment in the war for several reasons. Few Americans could comprehend the sheer devastation of Antietam where 6500 soldiers were mortally wounded in a single day and nearly twenty thousand were seriously wounded. And while Antietam marked the bloodiest day in American history, it marked a transition from the maneuvering of generals like McClellan to the total warfare and sustained campaigns led by future Union leaders. According to McPherson and many other historians, Antietam also marked a moral and political transition given Lincoln's decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation in its wake.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Military historians are quick to balance this interpretation with the limits of what the Union achieved at Antietam. McPherson agrees with the general consensus of military historians who believe that had McClellan pressed his attack on Lee, he might have crushed the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia as Lee was forced to retreat and in a vulnerable position as his army needed to either cross the Potomac River to return to the South. However, McClellan decided to not attack the fleeing Confederate army, allowing Lee to cross the Potomac. Lincoln was furious about McClellan’s lack of aggressiveness and resolved to replace McClellan following the battle.&nbsp;

One of the key turning points of the Civil War, the Battle of Antietam began at dawn on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Neither side was able to claim a decisive victory and both endured tremendous casualties. Antietam became the bloodiest one-day battle in American history, with more than 23,000 casualties. Confederate General Robert E. Lee was forced to withdraw from the field due to his losses, ending his first invasion of the North. Although Union General George B. McClellan decided that his forces were too decimated as to pursue Lee's Army, the battle ended with General Lee's Army retreating to Virginia. President Abraham Lincoln had hoped for a Union victory before announcing his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. While Antietam was equally devastating in terms of casualties, the fact that Lee's Army had withdrawn from Pennsylvania allowed Lincoln to announce his intention to end slavery at a moment when confidence in the Union cause had been restored. Lincoln's declaration would appear as a thoughtful and deliberate measure rather than a desperate act by a President who was attempting to use an Executive Order to strike a blow to the South that his armies could not deliver.

Battle of Antietam (Civil War, September 17, 1862)

In 1852,&nbsp;Dr. Robert F. Kennedy purchased the 194 acres of land and cottage from Antietam Iron Works. Soon after, he had the current one story-high stone foundation built and raised the one-room cottage onto it, then added a larger, two-story wing to the northeast. Kennedy died seven years later and the farm remained empty.&nbsp; In 1859, John Brown took on the fake name of Isaac Smith and rented the farmhouse for $35 in gold from the trustee of Kennedy's estate. Brown, his sons Owens and Oliver, and Lt. Jeremiah Anderson used the farm as a staging area to prepare for their intended October raid on the Harpers Ferry arsenal, located just a few&nbsp;miles away.&nbsp;Abolitionists varied in their&nbsp;approaches to slavery, which included&nbsp;formal anti-slavery organizations,&nbsp;legal and social advocacy, public demonstrations, and&nbsp;militant actions. Brown's vision for a slave insurrection at Harpers Ferry&nbsp;was among the most dramatic.&nbsp; As the summer progressed, Brown's Provisional Army of the United States arrived one or two at a time until a total of twenty-one men (sixteen white, five Black)&nbsp;were hiding in the farmhouse attic. He also assembled a&nbsp;small arsenal of weapons to assault the Harpers Ferry arsenal. His daughter, Annie, and daughter-in-law, Martha, served as cooks and housekeepers for the Provisional Army. John Brown's raid on the Harpers Ferry arsenal from October 16-18, 1859, did not garner slave support, and instead drew local militia to take back the arsenal in a violent turn of events. His legacy has&nbsp;remained disputed ever since. The Kennedy Farm had been rumored to be John Brown's headquarters and passed through many owners over the year.&nbsp;It was not until 1972 that South Lynn confirmed this was the case after researching in the Maryland and National Archives.&nbsp;It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and&nbsp;granted National Landmark status in 1974.&nbsp; Major restorations have taken place to turn the clock back to John Brown's time. Essentially, the Kennedy farmhouse had to be taken apart and put back together to restore its historic appearance.&nbsp;Today, the Kennedy Farm is owned by the John Brown Historical Foundation and open for tours by appointment.&nbsp;

The Kennedy Farm served as abolitionist John Brown's headquarters as he planned his October 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. The farmhouse was originally built by Robert F. Kennedy in the 1850s and sat empty after his death in the spring of 1859. John Brown and his followers arrived in the area on July 3, 1859. Looking for a place to stage their upcoming raid on nearby Harpers Ferry, they presented themselves as cattlemen from New York who were looking for property. A local resident suggested the now-vacant Kennedy farm and Brown and his men leased the property and spent a total of three and a half months in the Kennedy Farmhouse. Today, the farmhouse has been entirely restored by area preservationists with the support of state and federal funds. The Kennedy Farm was designated as a National Historic Landmark and is also on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Kennedy Farm and John Brown's Headquarters

<div><div><div><div>The Pry House is considered the birthplace of military and emergency medicine due to the fact that it is where many medical related objects and systems were created during the Civil War era.&nbsp; The grounds around the house offer many sights such as The Pry Barn, which was used as a field hospital. The Pry Barn is now open to the public featuring displays on field hospitals. Also, there is an overlook where visitors can view the battlefield in almost the exact same spot as General McClellan and his staff did in 1862. Outside of the Pry House there is a 19th century style medicinal and kitchen garden. Every plant in the garden serves a practical purpose including medicinal plants, herbs, vegetable for the kitchen table, just like the Pry family would have had in the 1860s.&nbsp;</div></div></div></div>

The Pry House Field Hospital Museum is located on the Antietam Battlefield in the historic Pry House, which was the home to Union Commander General George B. McClellan and Medical Director Dr. Jonathan Letterman during the battle. The exhibits include a recreation of an operating theater, interpretive panels, objects relating to the care of the wounded, the history of the Pry House and family, and information on the revolutionary system of evacuation of wounded created by Dr. Letterman during the battle, which is still in use today. 

Pry House Field Hospital Museum

The Van Metre Ford Bridge is located just outside of Martinsburg, WV on County Route 36. The bridge was built to make crossing Opequon Creek easier for travelers on what was then known as Warm Springs Road. The project was funded in 1832 by the Berkeley County Court and built by Silas Harry, a private builder and stonemason. The cost of the bridge totaled about $4,550 and funds were raised via a county levy without much protest. Featuring three stone arches, the bridge is 165 feet long and constructed of ashlar limestone. Aside from resurfacing the road, the only changes to the bridge's original structure are repairs made to walls after being damaged in car accidents.  Construction of the Van Metre Ford Bridge was part of the larger effort to build infrastructure to create access to the mountains. Major parts of this effort included National Road, which connected Cumberland, MD to Wheeling, WV and eventually Vandalia, IL, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The National Road project was still being completed in the 1830s and the B&amp;O Railway lines were just being laid. The construction of the Van Metre Ford Bridge, though a small-scale project, was a part of this drive to create better transportation in the Appalachian region. By making the crossing of the Opequon Creek faster and cheaper for travelers, the region became more accessible for commerce. The economic development of Martinsburg and the rest of the eastern panhandle was made easier by the Van Metre Ford Bridge and other transportation developments like it in this period. During the Civil War, the bridge was often used by traveling Union and Confederate troops.  The bridge was designed with this commercial travel in mind. Though narrow, the Van Metre Ford Bridge was made to be sturdy enough to support heavy loads. The use of stone materials rather than wood made the project more expensive but has allowed the bridge to function without issue since construction concluded in 1832. At the time, stone bridges were becoming less popular as wooden bridges were seen as cheaper options with more accessible materials.  In March of 2015, plans for the construction of a new bridge over Opequon Creek were announced. Completed in 2016, the new bridge has three lanes while Van Metre Ford Bridge has just one. Though it has been retired as a primary bridge, the Van Metre Ford Bridge is still standing and is open for pedestrian traffic. On the southeastern side of the original bridge, there is a highway marker with a brief history of the bridge's construction and significance.

Built in 1832, Van Metre Ford Bridge was constructed to improve transportation between the Virginia communities of Alexandria and Bath. Now located in West Virginia, the historic bridge spans Opequon Creek and was one of many transportation projects that resulted from the migration of people from eastern communities to Appalachia during the early 1800s. At the time of construction, stone bridges like this one were becoming more rare as rapidly-growing communities opted for wooden bridges that were cheaper and faster to build. The Van Metre Ford Bridge was in use by vehicles until a new, three-lane bridge was built next to it in 2016. Today, the historic bridge is open for pedestrian use. At the southeastern end of the bridge, a highway marker features the history and significance of the structure. 

Van Metre Ford Bridge

Harpers Ferry&nbsp;was an important landmark during the American Civil War. With its strategic location in western Virginia, transportation routes,&nbsp;and hefty <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://theclio.com/web/entry?id=31681" title="Link: https://theclio.com/web/entry?id=31681">armory</a>, both Union and Confederate forces seized Harpers Ferry&nbsp;in the early years of the war. The town itself was devastated by these conflicts, with only around 100 of the original 3,000 citizens remaining.&nbsp;By&nbsp;late February&nbsp;1862, Union troops held Harpers Ferry, first under&nbsp;General Nathaniel P. Banks and then under Colonel Dixon S. Miles, but it remained under close watch of Confederate generals Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and Robert E. Lee.1&nbsp; There were four main reasons&nbsp;Harpers Ferry&nbsp;was a&nbsp;strategic target for the Confederate military: <ul><li>It was located near the Shenandoah Valley, where the Confederates held ground,&nbsp;and&nbsp;a mere 50 miles from the United States capital,&nbsp;Washington, D.C.&nbsp;</li><li>It was built 
on the juncture of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, which allowed transport by boat or ferry.&nbsp;</li><li>It was 
the site of an important <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://theclio.com/web/entry?id=31027">railroad</a> bridge, which further increased its 
transportation utility.&nbsp;</li><li>It contained a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://theclio.com/web/entry?id=31681" title="Link: https://theclio.com/web/entry?id=31681">United States&nbsp;Armory</a>&nbsp;(which was 
already famous due to John Brown's raid in 1859), which 
promised a sizeable stockpile of arms and ammunition to the side that 
could secure it.</li></ul>Throughout 1862, as Union forces encroached from the west, north, and eastern seaboard,&nbsp;General Jackson led a successful&nbsp;campaign to protect the&nbsp;Shenandoah Valley and avoid Union invasions of Richmond and Fredericksburg. Jackson was familiar with Harpers Ferry. In 1861,&nbsp;he commanded the post at Harpers Ferry under Confederate occupation. In May 1862,&nbsp;he attempted to&nbsp;capture Harpers Ferry but was driven out by Union General Rufus Saxton, who won the Medal of Honor for his actions. By&nbsp;September, Jackson, equipped with a summer of victories in the Shenandoah and knowledge of Harpers Ferry's geography,&nbsp;returned to Harpers Ferry as&nbsp;General Robert E. Lee commenced his first invasion of the North. It was risky for Lee to divide his army&nbsp;with Union General George B.&nbsp;McClellan and the larger Army of the Potomac on his heels, but the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry was worth the risk. It would not only be a major Confederate victory, but it would insure supply lines to Virginia and Lee's&nbsp;army in Maryland&nbsp;would remain open.&nbsp;On September 9, Lee issued Special Orders 191, directing Jackson to Harpers Ferry.2 The attack would come from multiple directions and converge on the insulated town.&nbsp;Harpers Ferry sits in a valley surrounded by steep, forested mountains.&nbsp;Union commander Colonel Dixon S. Miles, failed to realize the importance of the heights surrounding the town. With most of his forces in the town itself, Miles left&nbsp;only a small force at Maryland Heights&nbsp;to protect the surrounding landscape.&nbsp;This would prove disastrous, allowing the Confederates to easily gain the high ground and a&nbsp;tactical advantage. Jackson moved troops from western Maryland to School House Ridge,&nbsp;Brigadier General John G. Walker claimed Loudoun Heights with no&nbsp;opposition, and&nbsp;Major General Lafayette McLaws prepared to take on Union troops at&nbsp;Maryland Heights.&nbsp;The stage was set for a decisive Confederate victory.3 Confederate forces under Major General&nbsp;McLaws&nbsp;first met the Union army at the sparsely defended Maryland Heights, and easily took the position in a brief skirmish. During the struggle for these heights, other Confederate brigades noticed that positions west and south of the town weren't even defended. Seizing the initiative, Jackson placed his artillery all around the town and called Brigadier General A.P. Hill to arm Bolivar Heights.&nbsp;A fierce artillery barrage followed, along with a ground assault, heavily demoralizing the Union garrison.&nbsp;Surrounded by artillery and a force twice their size,&nbsp;Union leaders agreed to surrender&nbsp;the town and garrison on September 15. Miles was mortally wounded that day and the Brigadier General Julius White made the&nbsp;formal surrender,&nbsp;resulting in the capture of over&nbsp;12,000 Union soldiers.4 Following Confederate victory, Jackson held Harpers Ferry until Lee called on his support in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://theclio.com/web/entry?id=1542">Battle of Antietam</a>, a bloody&nbsp;struggle on Northern ground&nbsp;that began on&nbsp;September 17.&nbsp;Jackson and his troops rushed to Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Hill was left in charge of processing Union&nbsp;prisoners until he was also called to Sharpsburg. Following the Battle of Antietam,&nbsp;Union troops regained the abandoned&nbsp;Harpers Ferry. The battle&nbsp;was an&nbsp;important Confederate&nbsp;victory that&nbsp;reinforced Jackson's tactical capabilities and bolstered supply lines. In the coming years, Harpers Ferry would&nbsp;flip between Union and Confederate occupation multiple times, demonstrating again its use as a strategic military and transportation&nbsp;post. Today, much of&nbsp;the battlefield is protected by the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the Civil War Trust.5

The Battle of Harpers Ferry took place September 12-15, 1862, during the American Civil War. As Confederate General Robert E. Lee invaded Maryland, he also hoped to capture the Union garrison stationed in Harpers Ferry, then part of Virginia. To achieve this, he divided his force and sent General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson to deal with the garrison while his main force continued in Maryland. Jackson's successful capture of Harpers Ferry allowed the Confederates to gain strategic ground and access to supplies. It resulted in the largest United States surrender in the Civil War, with over 12,000 Union soldiers taken prisoner. The battlefield is now protected by the National Park Service and Civil War Trust.

1862 Battle of Harpers Ferry

Until 1824, the town of Harpers Ferry and the surrounding area had to rely on a ferry of the same name for reliable transportation across the Potomac River. The first bridge was constructed in 1824 and was a wooden road. This was replaced in 1839 by a covered wooden truss about eight hundred and thirty feet long and capable of supporting the weight of a steam engine. An additional bridge was constructed alongside it in 1851, this time made out of metal in the Bollman Truss design.These two bridges were massive targets during the Civil War. Due to Harpers Ferry's relative proximity to the capital, they made the town into an immensely valuable strategic location. Controlling the Harpers Ferry junction was an effective choke-point to the north or the south. During the three years of fighting, Harpers Ferry changed hands eight times and the wooden bridge was destroyed in 1861.After the Civil War, two more bridges were constructed in 1894 and 1930 to accommodate the increasing weight of newer steam trains. The Bollman Truss bridge had been replaced with a new version in 1870, but it was washed away in a flood in 1936, leaving only the piers that used to hold it up. Both of the remaining bridges are now used by CSX for its Shenandoah (1894 bridge) and Cumberland (1930 bridge) Lines. The crossing was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Until 1824, Harper's Ferry relied on the ferry of the same name for transportation across the Potomac River. Since then, five bridges have been built over the Potomac, though only two are still standing. These bridges would be one of the factors that made Harpers Ferry into one of the most sought after positions in the Civil War, where it changed hands eight times between 1861 and 1864. The crossing was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

B&O Railroad Potomac River Crossing

The land that became Harpers Ferry was originally part of the Thomas Fairfax holdings. Millwright Robert Harper purchased 125 acres of land from Fairfax on April 5, 1751. Harper established a water powered sawmill, ferry, and a stone tavern. Robert Harper died in 1782 and his holdings were inherited by his niece, Sarah Harper, and her husband John Wager, Sr. The Wagers lived in Philadelphia and controlled the development of Harpers Ferry from afar until 1836.During the early nineteenth century, Harpers Ferry was a center for industry and transportation. In August 1785 George Washington visited Harpers Ferry and selected it as the location for a new Federal musket producing armory due to the potential for waterpower. The United States purchased 118.25 acres of land from the Wagers, with the family keeping the two Wager tracts (the Six Acre Wager Reservation and ¾-acre Ferry Lot Reservation). The U. S. began construction on the power canal, dams, and factory buildings in 1798 and arms production began in 1802. The presence of the armory spurred the exponential growth in the town and the factory produced more than 500,000 firearms for the United States by 1860.In addition to the federal presence at Harpers Ferry, the area was a center of private industrial growth, particularly along the Shenandoah River at Virginius and Hall Islands. The potential for waterpower was being used as early as the 1820s and in the 1850s Abraham Kerr 39 industrial or related structures on Virginius Island. Hall’s Island just to the west was the site of the Lower Hall Rifle Factory in the 1820s. While new interchangeable technology was already being adapted by the U.S. government, John Harris Hall developed a system to mass produce truly interchangeable parts for a breechloading flintlock rifle. Hall was contracted by the United States to set up the machinery needed for this process on Hall Island and produce his rifles for the government.Transportation and Industry were both prominent themes in early Harpers Ferry. The Baltimore &amp; Ohio Railroad meets the Winchester &amp; Potomac Railroad in Harpers Ferry, along with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The canal was a way to transport goods from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington DC. With it’s ideal location for water powered factories, Harpers Ferry was home to cotton mills, paper mills, rifle works, and the Federal Armory and Arsenal. However, when you visit the park today all that remains are the ruins of the once industrial town due to the flooding that occurred.Harpers Ferry is perhaps most famous for John Brown’s Raid in October 1859. John Brown was an avid abolitionist and became known as “Osawatomie Brown” for his actions in “Bleeding Kansas,” and became a wanted man for killing five pro-slavery individuals. In Harpers Ferry, Brown devised a plan to lead a raid on the federal armory and arsenal. Brown’s plan was to obtain weapons from the armory and free all of the slaves in the south by providing them with weapons to rebel. Brown and his 18 raiders hid out at the nearby Kennedy Farm house in Maryland. On the eve of October 16th, 1859 Brown and his raiders entered the silent town of Harpers Ferry, it was a drizzly Sunday night. Brown’s men took several local citizens as prisoners, and once the local militia began to exchange fire, Brown took coverage in the armory’s fire engine house, now referred to as John Brown’s Fort. The U.S. Marines from Washington D.C., under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee offered Brown terms of surrender. Brown refused and after a short three-minute struggle Brown was captured and put under arrest. Brown was tried and found guilty of three crimes: murder, treason, and conspiring and inciting a slave rebellion, and was sent to the gallows on December 2, 1859. John Brown is quoted with his last words being “I John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land, will never be purged away with blood.” Brown was envisioning a Civil War to occur and it did.During the Civil War, Harpers Ferry was constantly in the path of the opposing armies. In 1861, at the very beginning of the conflict the Federal soldiers at the arsenal were forced to leave Harpers Ferry with the approach of Virginia’s state troops (once Virginia seceded and joined the Confederate States). The Federal force set fire to several of the buildings before the Confederates occupied the town. The other large wartime event was the Battle of Harpers Ferry in September 1862 when Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson approached the town during the Antietam Campaign and forced the surrender of the entire Union force there. Harpers Ferry was occupied by both forces several times over the course of the Civil War and much of the industrial sector was destroyed during the conflict. The damage from the war plus a series of major floods after 1870 largely caused Harpers Ferry to go into decline in the late nineteenth century.Harpers Ferry also holds a history of African Americans in West Virginia. After the American Civil War a school to educate newly freed African Americans was formed by missionaries. The school later turned into Storer College. In 1906, on the campus of Storer College, the second meeting of the Niagara Movement took place, and was led by W.E.B DuBois. The Niagara Movement was the forerunner of the NAACP. Storer College ended in 1954, when the Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education was passed making segregated schools illegal. Today, Storer College is a training center for the National Park Service.In 1944 the U. S. Congress recognized the historical significance of Harpers Ferry with legislation that allowed up to 1,500 acres to be designated as a national monument. It was officially declared a National Historical Park in 1963 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in October 1966.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is nestled at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers in West Virginia with views of Maryland and Virginia. Visitors can cross the Potomac River and hike to the peak of Maryland Heights that overlooks Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park houses Storer College, buildings involved in John Brown's Raid, and a Civil War battleground.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

In the months after the Union surrender of Fort Sumter, and other brief skirmishes between the
North and South occurred, by June of 1861 the first significant battles of the Civil War commenced in northern
Virginia. Strategic vantage points occupied the
objectives of the Confederacy and their goal to take control of the Manassas
Gap railroad and the Orange &amp; Alexandria railroad. The railroads could
bolster P. G. T. Beauregard’s position at Manassas Junction by supplying food,
munitions, and quick access to Joseph E. Johnston’s troops in the Shenandoah
Valley. Equally important, because Manassas is close to Washington D.C.,
Beauregard could conduct intelligence gathering on the strengths of the Union
army. As the battle in Harpers Ferry commenced in June, Johnston’s brigade
retreated to Winchester. Because of Johnston’s retreat, Union General Winfield
Scott ordered Major General Robert Patterson’s brigade to follow Johnston and
prevent him from meeting up with Beauregard in Manassas. 

Under the command of Scott, Patterson and his Union soldiers rallied their forces and
prepared for battle in the Shenandoah
Valley. However, faulty intelligence gathering reported Johnston’s forces as
much larger than actuality and caused Patterson to delay a full-on attack. 

On July 2, &nbsp;Patterson’s division crossed the Potomac River
nearby Williamsport, Maryland and headed towards Martinsburg. Close to Hoke’s
Run, Brigadier General John Joseph Abercrombie’s and Major General George&nbsp;H. Thomas’s brigades encountered regiments of Thomas J. Jackson’s brigade,
driving them back slowly. Jackson was ordered to delay the Federal advance
only, to which he accomplished, and
withdrew before Patterson’s more substantial
force could fully engage them. By July 3, Patterson occupied Martinsburg but
made no further aggressive moves until July 15, when he marched to Bunker Hill.
Instead of moving on Winchester, however, Patterson turned east to Charles Town
and then withdrew, back to Harpers Ferry. In the intervening days of July third to the fifteenth, Union soldiers seized the office of the Virginia Republican, a local newspaper
in Martinsburg that supported the Confederacy. The following day, on the Fourth
of July, Union soldiers printed the first
issue of the American Union that
provided news about the Union army and patriotic writing. 

The skirmish at Poke’s Run was small but had a significant outcome
for the Confederacy. Despite the Union winning the small battle, Confederate
troops slowly retreated and were able to board trains at Manassas Gap and meet
up with Beauregard. The short-term victory for
the Union at Poke’s Run caused them to substantially lose at the Battle of Bull
Run or better known as the First Manassas.

Also known as the Battle of Hainesville and the Battle of Falling Waters, is the Battle of Hoke’s Run. An early battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Hoke’s run was an initial skirmish in the Manassas Campaign. Famous Union and Confederate generals fought in this speedy battle that had farther reaching implications for the small victory the Union army gained on July 02, 1861. 



The Battle of Hoke's Run 1861

The statue includes the names of 41 soldiers from the area who served in World War I, including a list of nurses and a separate&nbsp;list of African American soldiers. The statue depicts a typical infantry soldier whose left arm is extended forward. The soldier clutches a rifle in his other arm and is wearing a helmet with a brim and chin strap around his neck. He stands on the base with bronze plaques attached.The dough-boy statue was made with graphic region stone, built to honor the citizens of Berkeley County by the Berkley County Memorial Association. The statue was created by Walters A. Sinz of Cleveland who also created World War I monuments for communities in Pennsylvania and Michigan.&nbsp;The term "dough-boy" started as an insult leveled on infantrymen by members of the cavalry during the Mexican-American War. Given the transition from cavalry to infantry that occurred in the next twenty years, the term soon took on a different meaning as infantrymen took the leading role and changed the meaning of the term.

The Doughboy statue honors the infantry soldiers from Martinsburg and throughout Berkely County who served in the United States Army during the first World War. The statue was dedicated on New Year's Eve on 1925 and built by donations from local citizens. Many of these donations were secured through the efforts of the women of the American Legion Auxiliary, who solicited donations from local residents throughout the county on behalf of the Berkeley County Memorial Association. 

Doughboy Statue, Martinsburg WV

In the early 1900s
Annie G. Packette, a noted local and descendant of the Washington family,
sought to increase the role of the performing arts in the Charles Town
community. In 1910 she spearheaded an effort to raise $50,000 for building an
opera house on North George Street. Washington D. C. architect Thomas A.
Mullett was commissioned to design the structure. The New Opera House, as it
was originally called, was given a simple design, with seating for at least
500, an orchestra pit, and a curved balcony. The house had its grand opening on
February 14, 1911 with a performance of the comedy play Bachelor Girls’
Federation of Clubs, featuring local actors. Proceeds from the show went to the
local United Daughters of the Confederacy branch to care for Confederate
veterans. 

The New Opera House
originally hosted theatrical performances but also included vaudeville,
minstrels, readings, circuses, and even basketball games and boxing matches.
Occasionally it held church services and election returns, and at one point it
stored supplies for disaster relief. The first films began to be screened in
1915. By the 1930s, with the introduction of the “talkies,” the opera house was
serving primarily as a movie theater. Business declined as movies overtook live
entertainment, and in 1948 the opera house closed. The building was converted
into commercial space and for the next few decades it served variously as a
florist shop, antique store, apartments, and a bowling alley. Gradually it
began deteriorating and accumulating waste, including a large amount of pigeon
droppings in the auditorium.

In 1971 a group of
local citizens, including Dixie Kilham, owner of the Hilltop House hotel in
Harpers Ferry, arranged to clean out the inside of the building. In 1973 the
Old Opera House Theatre Company was formed with the intention of acquiring,
restoring, and reopening the theater for performances. The Todd family, which
owned both the theater and an adjacent building constructed in the 1890s,
agreed to donate both structures to the group. The next several years were
spent fundraising and doing restoration work. The theater ceiling was re-plastered,
a new floor and new seats were installed. The second building meanwhile was
converted into space for a theater workshop, offices, and a rehearsal area. In 1978
the New Opera House, renamed the Old Opera House, was added to the National
Register of Historic Places. 

The opera house
reopened to the public in October 1976 with a production of My Fair Lady. Today the theatre company
hosts six plays, a one-act play festival, a ballet, and a summer youth theatre
camp at the opera house. In 2008 the Old Opera House Arts Centre was
established to offer lessons in acting, dance, and voice to people of all ages.
The lower level of the building is now also home to the Jean Heiler Gallery,
showcasing the work of local artists. The opera house also operates a thrift
store on North Charles Street as a fundraising initiative.

The Old Opera House is a historic performing arts center in Charles Town. It opened in 1911 under the direction of Annie Packette, a prominent local who sought to bring more culture to the community. The opera house hosted a number of plays, vaudeville shows, minstrels, sporting events, and film screenings before closing in 1948. In 1973 the building was donated to the newly-formed Old Opera House Theatre Company which worked to restore and refurbish the old theatre. It reopened to the public in 1976 and today hosts a variety of plays along with an art gallery and acting, dance, and singing lessons. The Old Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. 

Old Opera House 

Beaver Creek School museum is located in Hagerstown Maryland.&nbsp; This old two room school house now operates as a museum for people to come and tour.&nbsp; The old school house is one of the few schoolhouses that still stand in the area.&nbsp; Beaver Creek Schoolhouse dates back to 1904.&nbsp; In the museum, there are not only the school items, but also items from what life was like here in the early 1900’s.&nbsp; Going to this particular museum allows adults and children alike to take some time out of the busy present and experience the simplistic past. Admission is $8 dollars.&nbsp; Tours are available April through November by appointment only.&nbsp; The Beaver Creek school house is two rooms.&nbsp; It was the school house for the area, Washington County.&nbsp; The schoolhouse was built in 1904.&nbsp; The schoolhouse served as the school for all children.&nbsp; Generally there would be children from the first to the eighth grades in the two rooms.&nbsp; The number of students who attended the school would vary.&nbsp; The school house has no electric and only a wood burning stove for heat.&nbsp; There is a teacher’s desk and student’s desks made of wood.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Within Beaver Creek schoolhouse, chalkboards were used to teach the children there lessons.&nbsp; Because of the variety of students, the lessons were very basic and practical.&nbsp; Within the schoolhouse today, there are items that are authentic of the time.&nbsp; The school items and other items were donated by a family from Washington County.&nbsp; The donations were made by the owner of the schoolhouse and her family who want to keep the history of the schoolhouse alive.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In the museum today, there are both school items as well as items from the past.&nbsp; Children’s toys and sleighs are among some of the different items that you will have the privilege of seeing at Beaver Creek School Museum.&nbsp; In the early 1900’s life was much simpler. Music, arithmetic, history, reading, and English use to be the main subjects taught at the Beaver Creek schoolhouse.&nbsp; There is a hand crank organ, a record player, and many other musical instruments that are in the museum.&nbsp; These items help bring the school house to life.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Beaver Creek Museum is a historical two room school house. The school house dates back to 1904 and includes many items from the time period.

Beaver Creek School Museum 

The Snodgrass Tavern was built in pieces over time. While there are multiple stories as to who was the original builder, it is known that the oldest parts date back to 1742. The original structure was typical for its time, it was a 1 1/2 story tall log structure. A later addition would complete the second floor and expand the first floor to 18x24 feet, before another addition in 1813 added a fifteen square foot room to the first floor. It is unknown when the Snodgrass Tavern opened for business, but it is assumed that it coincided with the additions. Travelers from Martinsburg and Bath would rest at the building, earning it the nickname "Halfway House" due to its position between the two towns. The tavern would see famous patronage in George Washington in 1750 and 1784, and Henry Clay in 1827. The tavern would remain in business until 1847. After over one hundred years of business, the last Snodgrass owner refused to sell alcohol and sold the property, after which it became a private residence. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

The construction of the earliest parts of the Snodgrass Tavern was started in 1742, though the builder is unknown. The structure was built in parts and is one of the oldest buildings in West Virginia. The humble building has seen several high profile guests over its long operational life, such as George Washington. It served as a tavern until 1847, when the last Snodgrass owner refused to serve alcohol. After it was sold, it has served as a private residence ever since.

Snodgrass Tavern

Who was Morgan Morgan?Morgan Morgan emigrated to America sometime between the years of 1712 and 1716, and landed in Delaware. In 1713, Morgan Morgan got married to Catherine Garretson and later had a child with her named James in 1715. He later would end up settling in West Virginia in 1731 and named the 'Commission of the Peace' in 1734. He received a patent for 1,000 acres of land, which some say he was the first permanent resident there although some disagree with that allegation. Morgan Morgan died and is buried in the Morgan Chapel Graveyard. Morgan built the church in 1741 in Bunker Hill, WV. All of Morgan Morgan's descendants were also buried in the cemetery. Some of those descendants went to found Morgantown, WV. The CabinThe cabin was destroyed back in the 1700s and wasn't rebuilt until 1976 as a West Virginia and Berkeley County Bicentennial Project. When the cabin was rebuilt, they actually used many of the original logs to help keep some of the historical significance to it. Although in 1994, the house had siding put on to help protect the cabin and keep it structurally sound. Nearby is the stone and log house built by Morgan Morgan's son, Zackquill Morgan. He left home and later went to found Morgantown, WV. Morgan Morgan's cabin along with Zackquill Morgan's home and 104 acres are owned by the Berkeley County Historic Landmarks Commission.

Located in Bunker Hill, West Virginia, there is a cabin of the first known white resident of West Virginia, Morgan Morgan. In 1726, Morgan Morgan came to Western Virginia with his wife and five children. Morgan built his cabin between 1731-1734, and it consists of one room with a loft above it. 

My WV trip

Gray Lodge

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