Harpers Ferry

Images of America: West Virginia

by Dolly Nasby

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, sits in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of two rivers, the Potomac and Shenandoah. Without the influence of John Brown and his raiders, Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame, and Thomas Jefferson, Harpers Ferry might have remained a sleepy little village. Instead, it became a frequently contested location for troops during the Civil War and changed hands eight times. Many of the current shops and restaurants are housed in the restored original buildings, built in the 1800s. A visit to Harpers Ferry is like stepping back in time to the year 1859, because the town has been restored to that period. It has been designated a National Historical Park, with many buildings owned and maintained by the National Park Service.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 18, 2004

Reviews

[MKF · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author loves repeating herself, stating the obvious, and pointing out mundane things in some photos. Some of these and other captains feels like the author thinks her readers are idiots and she has to talk to them like they're children. There is a photo of a store with a simple sign saying groceries so the author tells you it is a grocery store and then points out that it says groceries. Or for those who have no knowledge in history pointing out the old fashion clothes in another photo and saying that is what they wore daily. Obviously we saw pictures in our history books and what woman with access to more modern clothes would hike up a large hill in a long dress. Then we have an occasional caption that is a bit confusing like an image published in a magazine months before John Brown raiding the town. So that would put the image earlier in 1959 but the bell tower shown in the image is written that is was built between 1860 and 1861. This is probably a decent read that is probably geared more toward the tourists or the residents.

[Billie Fremont · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good sketch of the significant parts of Harpers Ferry and its history. The last chapter was exactly what I needed to know about visiting the park. My main issue with this book has nothing to do with the author. For what this publisher charges for these kinds of books it is consistently irritating that they are falling apart before you've even read through the whole thing. Arcadia books should be keepsakes but the product has really shabby binding.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good photos. I wish there was more history of the Civil War battles.