Three Plus One Photography: October 2007

Harpers Ferry can be traced all the way back to 1733 when a Pennsylvania Dutchman named Peter Stephens settled there and began a ferry boat service. Located right along the banks of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, Harpers ferry was a key location for growing industries.
In 1747 a man named Robert Harper bought out Stephens and improved the ferry operation and built a mill there that was replaced by a succession of industries.

Because of the growing tourist population, Harpers Ferry National Park has recently employed a shuttle bus to take you from a parking lot at the top of the town, to the historic part of the town. The first thing that catches your eye is this beautiful chapel, way up on a hill top.

This is the historic chapel of St. Peter which was built in 1830 by local Catholics on part of the land which Robert Harper had set aside for a community cemetery and church. It was the third church built in Harpers Ferry, but the first church to be built on private land.

St. Peter's survived the war and continued to served the needs of the town's people but because of floods and economic depressions, efforts to revitalize Harpers Ferry were dwindling and the town never regained its prewar prosperity. But by 1890 a fund was established to build a new and more impressive church.

Only a few years ago a major restoration project had begun which aimed at capturing the essence of the church's appearance back in 1920. It looked simply gorgeous inside.

Harpers Ferry is a very rocky place. Walls, stairs and steps, and even buildings were built from rock.

The rock walls were amazing. Holding several buildings at the top of them.

Many prominent people passed through Hapers Ferry and helped shape its history. One of them was Meriwether Lewis who stocked up on supplies before his long journey West.
(I thought it was very ironic that James went to Law school where Lewis and Clark finished their journey and James got a job where they shoved off)

This is the oldest original building still standing today. The Harper House was a hotel of sorts which provided lodging for people such as Thomas Jefferson and Meriwether Lewis.