Scot Faulkner of the Friends of Harpers Ferry

We were blessed to have a tour with Scot Faulkner the President of the Harpers Ferry Historical Association.  This was our second visit to the area but through the eyes of a local historian was more than we could have imagined.  We started with a great overview at Bolivar Heights.  Mr. Faulkner told story of the Great Train Raid of 1861. He did a brilliant job explaining the strategic importance of the area and painting a picture of what occurred.

We then headed to Murphy Farm. This is where we saw some great views. In 1862, General A.P. Hill forced the surrender of 12,000 Union troops here which concluded General “Stonewall” Jackson’s siege of  Harpers Ferry.  This was accomplished with a flanking move on Bolivar Heights. The area has great views and trails. We then headed down to the town.

In the town, we learned more about the story of John Brown through a great exhibit there. We visited the Lewis and Clark exhibit, the General Store and John Brown’s fort. We learned about the different floods and saw the water line for each one.  We also let the kids wade in the river.  I knew there was a possibility of that not ending well and it didn’t. I let Claire go out one last time and she slipped and fell. She was soaked.  A purchase of an over sized T-shirt at the Bookstore saved the day.  The bookstore is phenomenal so don’t miss it if you are in the area.  We learned about the St. Peter’s Church and how it was saved from being burned during the war by Father Costello raising a Union Jack flag. We then stopped for some great ice cream at Scoop’s Ice Cream. This was the fuel to tackle our last stop – Jefferson Rock.

Thomas Jefferson wrote about this place in his book – Notes of the State of Virginia.  The book was like a travel guide.  He stood on the rock October 25, 1783 and wrote “this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic”. The rock used to rest on a natural rock formation that  you could rock but over the years it became dangerous and supports were added.

We then had a great dinner at the Anvil. They had a great variety of food and everyone was able to find something they wanted. Cobey got the suicide wings which were very hot. The waitress was surprised he finished them and said grown men sent them back saying they were too hot. The food was good and great service. Great ending to a wonderful afternoon and evening in Harpers Ferry.

To top off the day, Scott Faulkner was kind enough to sign Cobey’s book. He is the author Naked Emperors- The Failure of the Republican Revolution which is a great read.