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Contact: Leah Taber, 304-579-9208
HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — Come commemorate Memorial Day at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park on Saturday, May 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the presentation of “Defend and Protect: Arming the American Soldier.” This program will introduce visitors to Harpers Ferry's former gun-making industry and showcase the use of those weapons. Park rangers and living history volunteers dressed in civilian and military period clothing will display Harpers Ferry weapons and technology along Arsenal Square. Additionally, the Chesapeake Independent Blues and the US Marine Corps Historical Company will conduct an afternoon historic weapons demonstration.
Programs and activities are included in the park entrance fee. For more information, please visit the event page on the park website.
The clang of the gunsmith's hammer and the clamor of machines echoed through Harpers Ferry during the first half of the 19th century. From the years of the early republic until the American Civil War, the United States Armory at Harpers Ferry produced weapons to arm the American soldier. Harpers Ferry transformed from a small rural village to a thriving industrial town. The United States Armory that dominated the town for 60 years manufactured approximately 500,000 muskets, rifles, pistols, and other weapons for American military use. The improved processes and weapon development that occurred at the Harpers Ferry Armory advanced firepower, profoundly altering the science of war.
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Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is one of more than 400 national parks cared for by the National Park Service. The 3,500 acre park preserves, protects and interprets the nationally significant history of Harpers Ferry, which includes the topics of natural heritage, industry, transportation, John Brown’s Raid, the Civil War and African American history. Located in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, the park features over 20 miles of hiking trails.
Last updated: May 20, 2022