Place

Information Panel: A Nation's Armory

Wayside near a street. To the left of it is a large, red brick building with several white windows. Directly in front of the wayside is the end of Shenandoah Street and the start of Potomac Street.

Quick Facts

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

You are standing directly across the street from the main entrance of one of the nation's first military industrial complexes. The U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry, now covered by an embankment of dirt and rubble, produced the deadliest weapons of its day from the early 1800s until the start of the Civil War in 1861. Gutted during the Civil War, the armory was later razed and mostly covered with rubble to make way for elevated train tracks. A stone obelisk on the rise in front of you marks the original location of what became know as John Brown's Fort.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Last updated: December 2, 2022