The Foundation unites two towns with a vision of inspiring citizens & visitors with our history, beauty, diversity & hospitality.
Our initiatives focus on historic preservation, promotion & beautification of our towns for the enjoyment & benefit of all. The Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Historic Town Foundation is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes, and to promote historical, scientific, educational, interpretive and economic activities of the Town of Harpers Ferry for the inspirati
on and benefit of the people of the United States as provided for in the Act of August 25, 1916 (16 USC Sec. 1 et seq) as amended and supplemented, including the Act of August 21, 1961 (75 Stat 586). Its activities may include, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code. No part of the net earnings or income or funds of the Foundation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the Foundation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth above. Upon dissolution of the Foundation, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the Federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. As part of its organization and maintenance of civic engagement, the Foundation will establish and maintain a partnership and cooperative agreement with the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
Operating as usual
Do you have your tickets for our special events this weekend?
See also the Cemetery Lantern Walk at https://historicharpersferry.org/event/cemetery-lantern-walk-dec-10/
PURCHASE TICKETS Visit five historic homes and inns in Harpers Ferry all decked out for the holidays! During the second Saturday of Harpers Ferry’s annual Olde Tyme Christmas celebration, hosts ...
December 10 is a perfect day to visit Harpers Ferry!
Start with the Holiday Tour of Historic Homes & Inns at 10 am, followed by a 4pm Christmas parade in Bolivar, and the Cemetery Lantern Walk at 6 pm.
Before you call it a night, check out the Holiday Lights tour spanning both towns. You might as well spend the night in town so you can shop Olde Tyme Christmas on Sunday!
https://historicharpersferry.org/event/holiday-historic-home-tour/
https://historicharpersferry.org/event/cemetery-lantern-walk-dec-10/
https://experienceharpersferry.com/event/holiday-light-tour-4/
https://experienceharpersferry.com/2022/07/28/december-11/
Olde Tyme Christmas kicks off tonight!
Purchase your tickets now for the Holiday Tour of Historic Homes & Inns here in Harpers Ferry and Bolivar! December 10, 10 am - 4pm. Proceeds benefit restoration of First Zion Baptist Church. Learn more at https://historicharpersferry.org/event/holiday-historic-home-tour/
PURCHASE TICKETS Visit five historic homes and inns in Harpers Ferry all decked out for the holidays! During the second Saturday of Harpers Ferry’s annual Olde Tyme Christmas celebration, hosts ...
Curtis Memorial Church was dedicated in 1896 and was built to serve the spiritual needs of the Storer College students, staff, and faculty, as well as to evangelize the Free Baptist faith in the larger community. Thomas Lovett, founder of the Hill Top House, and several family members were charter members, according to the church ledger on display in the Mather Training Center.
Storer College-Alumni
St. John's Lutheran Church in Harpers Ferry, built in 1850. That patch under the window far left is where a Civil War cannon ball hit.
Our latest blog post is an interview with local author and Foundation vice chair Lynn Pechuekonis about her new book on the longest serving Black teacher at Storer College.
Our foundation vice chair, Lynn Pechuekonis, published a book! Man of Sterling Worth: Professor William A. Saunders of Storer College details the life of William Saunders, a professor at Storer ...
Timeline photos
Man of Sterling Worth | Camp Hill Tour with Book Signing and Reception
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 10 AM - 12 PM
Join us to launch our newest publication, "Man of Sterling Worth: Professor William A. Saunders of Storer College." Meet author Lynn Pechuekonis at the Storer gates on Fillmore Street for an introduction and brief history of the college. Lynn will lead a walking tour with stops at significant locations in Saunders’ life including the campus, neighborhood, Curtis Memorial Church, and his home. We’ll finish with a reception and book signing in the Storer Room in Mather Training Center, the college’s former Anthony Hall, which was the center of campus life.
A Storer alumnus, Professor Saunders was the longest-serving black teacher at the school. A resident of Harpers Ferry for 54 years, he was a trusted spiritual leader and well-known figure throughout the thriving African American community then living beyond Storer’s campus.
RSVP Here: www.harpersferryhistory.org/man-sterling-worth-book-launch-registration.
📸: Rockhaven B&B
Thomas Jefferson not merely admired the view from Harpers Ferry, he hung a painting of it in his dining room. The painting had been sold at auction after his death, but now it's back at Monticello.
Thanks to local historian James Beckham for sharing this fascinating news with us.
Thanks to Trish for donating this gorgeous 1950s 12-place-setting Wedgewood china set ("Whitehall" pattern) with serving pieces to the Foundation! Let us know if you are interested in buying it. We are continuing to accept donations for our October 15 Upscale Rummage Sale through September 23. Direct message for details!
We're looking for good quality housewares, art, and furniture (please no clothes or books) to sell at our October 15 Upscale Rummage Sale fundraiser.
DM us about drop off times at First Zion Church. Donation deadline is September 23. Also, DM if you need help with pick up or delivery.
When Robert Harper, founder of our beautiful town, died in 1782, there were only three houses. Optimistic about the community's potential for growth, however, Harper set aside this 4-acre cemetery, with an amazing view. We appreciate the local volunteers who are gradually cleaning and repairing the ancient headstones.
We didn't win a grant this year from this source, but a lot of great projects did. Congratulations to the National Coal Heritage Authority down in southern West Virginia for its Programming & Interpretation project on Black coal miners.
You can help save the irreplaceable historic buildings, monuments, communities and landscapes that the National Trust for Historic Preservation has designated National Treasures.
What about that other church on W. Ridge Street? Read on...
While the iconic St. Peters Roman Catholic Church in Lower Town is surely the most well-known religious building in Harpers Ferry, the most forgotten may be the ramshackle structure at 1060 W. Ridge Street.
An annual joy for those who live in Harper's Ferry and Bolivar (or visit): The 4th of July celebration at Gazebo Park. It was a fun afternoon, with a live band playing patriotic music and volunteers serving hot dogs and watermelon! Mark your calendar for 2023.
Independence Day celebration at Gazebo Park in Harpers Ferry on Monday, July 4, Noon - 2:30pm
Bring your own picnic if you like, along with your blanket or lawn chairs!
Hot Dogs served by your elected Town officials.
Watermelon compliments of the Harpers Ferry Woman's Club
575 Washington St.
George Rutherford, president of the Jefferson County NAACP, speaks about Storer College on this morning's HF Black Heritage Guided Walking Tour.
Harpers Ferry Looks Back At African American Memorial Day Tradition
After the Civil War, families of fallen Union soldiers recognized Decoration Day by adorning the graves of their loved ones with flowers. That remembrance became what’s now known as Memorial Day and…
The shade garden behind First Zion Church is looking great! Thanks everyone who helped!
UPDATE: Due to rain in the forecast for Monday, we're rescheduling to Tuesday, the 24th!
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Yard Work Party this evening at First Zion Church on W. Ridge St. in Harpers Ferry at 5 PM. We'll be weeding, edging, and mulching. Come on over anytime between 5 and 7 pm to lend a hand!
Things you might bring along:
Edger
Hand-held trowel for digging out weeds
Work gloves
Garden rake for spreading the mulch
Knife or scissors to open the bags of mulch
Do you have family photographs from the 20th century depicting African American life within the Harpers Ferry - Bolivar town limits? How about memorabilia from First Zion Baptist Church, John Wesley Church, Grand View School, Storer College, or any Black-owned businesses in these communities?
The Foundation is seeking donations of items like these for museum displays in First Zion community center when it opens.
We can make color scans of photos or other paper items if you prefer to loan them rather than donate them. Message us or email [email protected]
The Foundation was happy to recognize work done by owners Pam Leonard and John Flower to preserve this Bolivar home from its previously dilapidated state!
The rescue of a distinctive historic home in Bolivar has been recognized with an Excellence in Preservation Award by the Harpers Ferry – Bolivar Historic Town Foundation. The annual award ...
Are you looking for an event that combines history, beautiful scenery, soup, live music, craft brews and wine for purchase and – most importantly – non-competitive walking? Well, we got you covered! Come join us on May 1 for our annual Volksmarch! Volksmarching (from German “Volksmarchs” or people’s march) is a form of non-competitive walking that developed in Europe in the mid-late 1960s.
Come walk with us through historic Harpers Ferry and Bolivar. Choose a 5K or 10K self-paced walk beginning at the Barn in Harpers Ferry (behind the Light Horse Inn, 1084 Washington Street).
Registration – 12:30 pm
5K Harpers Ferry Walk – 1:30 pm
5K Bolivar Walk – 3:30 pm
Soup Dinner – 5 pm
Music – 6 pm
Tickets are $25 for an individual, $40 for a couple, $50 for a family and $15 just for the soup dinner following the Volksmarch at The Barn. The Volksmarch supports our mission to preserve the historic First Zion Baptist Church as a community cultural arts center for current and future generations who live in and visit Harpers Ferry and Bolivar.
Other Upcoming Events…
Annual Meeting
Our annual Foundation meeting is April 19. Meet some of the people who help protect and promote the towns we love and get an early peek at what we’ll be doing to further our mission in 2022.
We will also be presenting the Foundation’s 2022 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award to a worthy project that has taken shape in our towns during the past year.
There will be a short business meeting, during which we will meet and vote in new board members of the Foundation. For additional details, write to us at [email protected].
NOTE: This meeting will be held online via Zoom using the following connection link
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84721501917
Flip Flop Festival
The Flip Flop Festival is April 23-24. Celebrate the Appalachian Trail and our region’s outdoors at the Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Flip Flop Festival 5:30 pm, Saturday, April 23, at the Barn of Harpers Ferry, 1062 W. Washington St. AT thru hiker Therese “Bangles” Coad will share her adventures, followed by roots/folk duo Rockwood Taylor. Cash bar and taco bar (with vegan options) available. Or join us 7-9 am, Sunday, April 24, for our hiker send-off breakfast at Camp Hill United Methodist Church. Other events through the weekend include hiker and AT workshops and a family hike. Find all the details at www.flipflopfestival.org.
We hope to see you soon!
Are you a Foundation member, or would you like to be? Join us for our 2022 annual membership meeting this Tuesday, April 19, at 7 PM.
Meet some of the people who help protect and promote the towns we love and get an early peek at what we’ll be doing to further our mission in 2022.
We will also be presenting the Foundation’s 2022 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award to a worthy project that has taken shape in our towns during the past year.
There will be a short business meeting, during which we will meet and vote in new board members of the Foundation. For additional details, write to us at [email protected].
NOTE: This meeting will be held online via Zoom using the following connection link
https://historicharpersferry.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=76c155e888b4c9ef53f076b52&id=1514419e18&e=9de8eaff56
Read more on our blog about the Madison Briscoe house in Harpers Ferry.
Like you, we are eagerly waiting for the weather to improve so that we can get outside and partake in some fun activities around town. One activity you can do yourself is our Harpers Ferry Black Heritage Walking Tour. Get some fresh air and learn about all sorts of fascinating historical figures suc...
Thanks to the National Park Service for sharing our post!
Springtime in Harpers Ferry is just the best!
(Virginia bluebells on Virginius Island, photo by Lynn Pechuekonis)
Exciting news! The Amory Canal Trail, an extension of Potomac Street, along the Potomac River upstream from the Harpers Ferry train station, will be developed in coming months into a bicycle trail. The project is funded by a Federal Lands Access Program grant and matching moneys from the town of Harpers Ferry.
Foundation board member Delores Jackson Foster shares sweet reminisces about growing up in Harpers Ferry...
Ms. Jackson Foster is a Foundation board member and native of Harpers Ferry. After graduating from Shepherd College (now Shepherd University), she taught at her former high school, Page-Jackson High School in Charles Town. She moved to New Jersey and, after 40 years, retired as an Elementary School....
This lovely 1880s house was the home of Dr. Madison S. Briscoe and his wife Marie from 1951 until the early 1990s. Dr. Briscoe was a Storer College graduate (1924) and later returned as a teacher (before WWII). He went on to become one of the world’s leading authorities in the fields of parasitology and entomology in the mid-20th century. Last week a historical marker was placed at his childhood home in Wi******er, Virginia -- but Harpers Ferry was the place he couldn't stay away from.
Established ca. 1869, the members of John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church laid the cornerstone for its building a decade later in 1879. Located on W. Ridge St. in Harpers Ferry, the congregation thrived for many years, then merged with Camp Hill Methodist Church in 1977. Today the former church is privately owned. The painting is by Houston D. Snowden in 1978. The photograph was taken in 2013 by Maddy McCoy of the Slavery Inventory Database.
Remembering Mrs. Inez Johnson Saunders, Storer College alumna and Grand View Grade School teacher.
If you have ever visited Cedar Hill cemetery, you may have noticed one gravestone that stands out among the gray granite and marble because of its sandy-tan color. It bears the name Saunders on the front side on large letters.
Catch this radio interview with our Vice Chair who talks about the Foundation's work and great reasons to visit Harpers Ferry/Bolivar.
We took a quick trip across state lines for our tourism segment today to chat with Lynn Pechuekonis. Lynn and her husband are the owners of Rockhaven Bed & Breakfast in historic Harper’s Ferry. Lynn is also the Vice Chair of Harper’s Ferry/Bolivar Historic Town Foundation and serves on the Harpe...
John Henry Napper (who “had a great zeal for serving God") was one of the cofounders and first deacons of First Zion Baptist Church. His family had come to Harpers Ferry from southern Virginia. When the church bought property and decided to begin construction on its building, Napper was among the workers. A church historian many years ago described their project:
“The early members labored hard with their hearts and hands to erect this building. Men and women volunteered to 'scoop' the foundation with picks, shovels, and wheelbarrows. They assisted the masons by carrying mortar in buckets and stones in their aprons. Soon the walls were ready for the corner stone lying, and their hearts burst out and they shouted for joy.
"Finally, the building was completed enough for them to hold service…. Once here, a great shout broke out and their hearts felt the fullness of joy. God Bless this old ship of Zion to sail on a peaceful sea for many years with you and happiness.”
First Zion Baptist Church in Harpers Ferry "first began in the hearts of a few Virginia Settlers, who came here to sojourn or call this their home, God being in their hearts and they desiring to serve him, and not having any place for service they started to holding meetings in their homes,” says their official church history. What they wanted, though, was their own building in which to worship, and by 1894 they had laid the cornerstone. While the building was under construction, they met in the Bolivar Graded School building close by on West Ridge St. (see photo). The church later returned the favor. In the 1920s, the student body outgrew their two-room school and overflowed into First Zion's basement until the Grand View School could be completed (ca. 1930).
The video "Hidden in Plain Sight - Revealing the Concealed Harper's Ferry Cemeteries" is now available on demand. Both cemeteries discussed in the film have been the beneficiaries of Foundation preservation efforts.
Non-profits who are interested in a DVD can request a free copy from filmmaker Cynthia Gayton. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/hiddenharpersferry/451306105
This is an award winning history-based documentary entitled “Hidden in Plain Sight - Revealing the Concealed Harpers Ferry Cemeteries.” Two cemeteries…
The beautiful new roof on First Zion Church held up under the first snowfall last week. We just submitted a letter of intent for a new grant that could fund our next restoration steps. Cross your fingers that we'll be invited to submit a full proposal!
Beautiful historic downtown Harpers Ferry in the snow.
Photo by K. Simmons
Happy New Year to all!
‘Tis the time of year where residents of Harpers Ferry go from living in a beautiful and historic town to a life-sized Christmas snow globe (minus the snow) or a ...
This brand new music video was filmed here in Harpers Ferry at the historic Town's Inn, built ca. 1820. It's beautifully sung and produced!
Video oficial de «Oh, Noche Santa» por Alysia junto a Joivan JiménezWords and Music by Alysia, Placide Cappeau, Adolphe Adam and John Dwight Sullivan. Public...
887 Washington Street
Harpers Ferry, WV
25425
The Officers for 2015 are: Hardwick Smith Johnson, Jr., EdD - President/Chairman, Richard Cunningham - Vice President/Vice-Chairman, Ed Wheeless - Secretary, and Sue Schmidt - Treasurer. For membership information please contact the President of the Foundation at the email listed below.
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These hot deals will warm you up this morning! Open until 2 pm!
Potomac Ridge Bed and Breakfast
East Ridge StreetThe Living Civil War Mobile Museum
Shoreline DriveHarpers Ferry National Historical Park
Shoreline DriveBolivar-Harpers Ferry Public Library
Polk StreetRed Men Hall (Brunswick, Maryland)
BrunswickLovettsville Historical Society and Museum
East Pennsylvania Avenue, LovettsvilleSouth Mountain Heritage Society
East Main Street, Burkittsville
The Living Civil War Mobile Museum
Shoreline Drive
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Shoreline Drive
Bolivar-Harpers Ferry Public Library
Polk Street
Potomac Ridge Bed and Breakfast
East Ridge Street