Washington Heritage Trail
Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, WV

George Washington inadvertently played a role in sparking the Civil War that divided the Union more than six decades after his death. By seeing to it that a key armory and arsenal were built at Harpers Ferry, Washington ensured the Panhandle's place in the history of the tensions that led to the outbreak of the war. Early abolitionist John Brown seized the Federal Armory at Harper's Ferry in 1859 and focused the nation's attention on the question of slavery. The fire engine house where Brown was captured (now called John Brown's Fort) is preserved at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The town of Harpers Ferry itself is a National Register Historic District, with 19th century buildings lining the narrow streets that climb the hillside. Harpers Ferry played a prominent role in the Nation's history and many interpretive themes can be explored by visitors.