John Brown's Fort Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Recognizes Anniversary Of John Brown Raid

The raid took place more than 160 years ago and is thought of as one of the events that precipitated the Civil War.

This weekend marks the anniversary of John Brown’s raid at the U.S. armory in Harpers Ferry.

On Oct. 16, 1859, Brown set out to raid the armory for weapons, which would be used to arm those opposed to the institution of slavery. The raid failed when Brown and his men were captured the morning of Oct. 18. A group of U.S. Marines laid siege to the fire engine house, now known as John Brown’s Fort, the raiders had been driven into.

The raid took place more than 160 years ago and is thought of as one of the events that precipitated the Civil War.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park representative Leah Taber says many of the questions the raid raised are still relevant today.

“His impact didn’t just end with the suppression of the raid or the Civil War,” Taber said. “We still are talking about what John Brown means as far as racial justice, or if violence is ever okay as a means to an end.”

The park is putting on a “living history” presentation with the Marine Corps Historical Company, titled “At All Times Ready.” The presentation will show how the raid unfolded on the site’s actual grounds through a first-person perspective of the figures involved.

“It will allow our visitors to experience John Brown’s raid through the stories of those Marines, through townspeople both white and Black and through the eyes of John Brown himself, even, so that they can gain a greater understanding of how Harpers Ferry became one of the key places in civil rights history, ultimately,” Taber said.

The event is scheduled for Oct. 15 and 16 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., beginning on The Green at Harpers Ferry’s historic Lower Town and ending at John Brown’s Fort, which was moved 150 feet from its original location in 1968 after being acquired by the National Park Service eight years prior. Marine Corps Historical Company staffers will also be at the fort from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to provide education to visitors.

April 18, 1861: Federal Soldiers Set Fire to Harpers Ferry Armory

On April 18, 1861, U.S. Army regular soldiers and volunteers set fire to the U.S. Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry.

The day before, Virginia politicians had voted to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy. Confederates quickly targeted the Harpers Ferry Armory and Arsenal for its stockpile of guns. On April 18, 360 Virginia militiamen began a 10-mile march from Charles Town to seize the Armory.

Outnumbered more than five to one, Lieutenant Roger Jones, the Army commander at the armory, decided to abandon the site but not before torching the buildings in an attempt to keep the weapons out of Confederate hands.

When the pro-Southern militiamen arrived, they extinguished enough of the blaze to salvage most of the weapon-making machinery, which was transferred to the Confederate Armory in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In July 1861, the Confederates abandoned Harpers Ferry after setting fire to the rest of the Armory. The federal government never rebuilt the Armory and Arsenal, ending 62 years of weapon making at Harpers Ferry.

Today, the only remaining Armory building is the engine house, better known as John Brown’s Fort.

October 16, 1859: John Brown Captures U.S. Armory

On the night of October 16, 1859, a band of antislavery men under John Brown captured the U.S. armory at Harpers Ferry. Earlier in the year, Brown had settled into a western Maryland farmhouse, where he trained his 18-man army in military tactics. His goal was to seize weapons from the national armory at Harpers Ferry and arm slaves, who would then overthrow their masters.

The raid, though, was a fiasco. Brown’s first victim was a railroad night watchman who was a free African American. The raiders also killed the town’s mayor. Infuriated—and mostly drunken—townspeople grabbed their rifles and trapped Brown’s men in the armory’s fire engine house. On the morning of October 18, U.S. Marines under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee captured Brown and the eight raiders who had survived the ordeal. Brown was convicted of treason and hanged in nearby Charles Town six weeks later.

More than any other event, the raid divided the nation between North and South. With his last words, Brown predicted that slavery would lead to civil war. Less than a year-and-a-half later, his words would come true.

New Quarter Featuring John Brown's Fort Released in Harpers Ferry

This year marks the Centennial Celebration of the National Park Service – 100 years since the system was created. But 2016 is also special for another reason – it marks the release of a new quarter honoring one of West Virginia’s best known National Parks.

Hundreds of people gathered in Harpers Ferry for the official launch of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program honoring Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

This new quarter recognizes one of the most historic towns in West Virginia – known for its significant role during the Civil War. The quarter’s reverse side depicts John Brown’s Fort, the site of John Brown’s last stand during his raid on the Harpers Ferry Armory.

“This quarter brings a lot of pride to a state, to an area; the pride that’s in here,” said Bill Norton, Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs at the United States Mint, “If you look around, there are people here from Illinois, California, Montana, Florida, and they come up, and it’s important. It’s important to keep us and keep Americans connected with this history.”

West Virginia’s quarter is one of five that will be released this year as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program that began in 2010.

A total of 56 new quarters will be released through 2020 honoring 56 national sites in each of the 50 states, Washington D.C., and five U.S. territories – Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Harpers Ferry’s quarter is 33^rd in the series.

Thomas Hipschen is the artist behind the design of this new quarter. Hipschen is a member of the Artistic Infusion Program at the United States Mint and has been a regular visitor to Harpers Ferry for the past 40 years.

This is the first time one of his designs will appear on a circulating coin, and Hipschen says he chose John Brown’s Fort because it’s so iconic.

“It’s the only part of the original arsenal that still exists,” Hipschen explained, “It’s a major point in history; it was almost a trigger point for the Civil War. Later on, it became a meeting place for black groups that turned into the NAACP organization. It just has so many different points in history that makes it important.”

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is one of four other national park sites in West Virginia and one of 411 sites in the country.

Those interested in getting the new Harpers Ferry quarter may visit any Jefferson Security Bank to exchange cash for rolls of coins until stock runs out. According to a representative from the United States Mint, other banks around the country may have the coins in stock, and individuals are encouraged to reach out and check with their local banks for availability.