Historical Markers in
Jefferson County, West Virginia

118th Pennsylvania Infantry 1862 Antietam Campaign A Brief History of the Old Presbyterian Church in Charles Town A Dangerous Position A Government Factory Town A Government Factory Town No Longer A Moving Symbol A Nation's Armory A Perfect Heap of Ruins A Position Strong by Nature A Union Predicament A Union Predicament A.P. Hill’s March Allstadt House American Revolutionary War Memorial Anthony Kerney Area History Armory Grounds Armory Paymaster's Residence Armory Workers Arsenal Square Assessing the Obstacle Barnes' Brigade Battle of Boteler's Ford Battle of Harpers Ferry Battle of Harpers Ferry / Jackson Arrives Battle of Harpers Ferry / Jackson Arrives Battle of Harpers Ferry / Union Stronghold Battle of Shepherdstown Belle Vue Bolivar Heights Trail Bolivar Methodist Church Boteler’s Ford Tablet B. F. 1 Boteler’s Ford Tablet B. F. 2 Boteler’s Ford Tablet B. F. 3 Brackett House Branding the B&O Brownfields to Greenfields Burned, Flooded, and Leveled Butcher Shop and Boarding House By the aid of these machines... Cameron's Depot Cameron's Depot Engagement Camp Hill Capt. James Kerney Capt. William Morgan Capture of Harpers Ferry Capture of Harpers Ferry Capture of Harpers Ferry Capture of Harpers Ferry Capture of Harpers Ferry Casualties of Time Casualties of War Casualty of War Cedar Lawn Charles Town Charles Town Post Office Charles Town Schools Charles Washington Hall Charles Washington's Town Chimney Church and School Closing the Doors Col. Drake Colonel Charles Washington Confederate Dead Confederate Soldiers in Elmwood Cemetery / Colonel Henry Kyd Douglas Confederate Victory Confederate Victory Confederates Converge Cotton Mill Daniel Bedinger Daring Escapes Davenport Brothers Revolutionary War Memorial Destined for Antietam Discover Harpers Ferry Duffields B&O Railroad Station Duffields Depot Raid Early Travel Edge Hill Cemetery Elizabeth Elliott Tabb Elmwood Cemetery Elmwood Cemetery Vault Entler Hotel Etter Hall Explore the Washington Heritage Trail / Afoot in Historic Charles Town Facing the Enemy Fake Attack - September 14th Federal Armory First Major Action Five Rounds into the Darkness Flag Talk Floods Focus of Action Fortifying Bolivar Heights Found Underground Foundations of Freedom Foundations of Freedom Fountain Rock Free School Freedom's Call Freedom's Call From Civil War to Civil Rights / Battle of Harpers Ferry From Skirmish Line to Burial Ground Gap View Farm General William Darke General William Darke George Upshur Manning George Washington Turner Gun Position #6 Happy Retreat Harewood Harper Cemetery Harper House Tavern Harper House: The Mansion on the Hill Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry / John Brown’s Fort Harpers Ferry Bolivar Veterans Memorial Harpers Ferry History Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Head Gates and Inner Basin Heads versus Hands Heyward Shepherd High Street in 1886 Historic Heights Historic Shepherdstown History in the Mountains Hockensmith Apple Storage Building Holl's Pump Holy Ground Home Becomes Battlefield Home of Joseph Perkins Home of Samuel Annin Honoring All Who Served House Ruins In Honor of James Rumsey In Honor of Private Luke Quinn In Memoriam In Memoriam Infantry Positions Iron Furnaces Island Access Island Mills Jackson at Harpers Ferry Jefferson County / Berkeley County Jefferson County / Maryland Jefferson County / State of Maryland Jefferson County / State of Virginia Jefferson County Courthouse Jefferson County World War II Memorial Jefferson Rock John Brown John Brown John Brown Fort John Brown Hanging Site John Brown Monument John Brown Scaffold John Brown's Last Stand John C. Heinz House John Frederick Blessing John Thomas Marker John Yates John Yates Beall Johnsontown Jonathan Child House Kearneysville Area Historic Properties Keyes Gap Keyes' Switch Engagement Large Arsenal Large Arsenal Foundation Lewis and Clark Lock Graveyard Memorial Lockwood House Locust Hill Lutheran Graveyard Major James Gibson Market House Martin R. Delany Martin Robinson Delany Martin Robison Delany Mary Magdalene Slagle Bedinger Masonic Hall Mayors of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia McMurran Hall Memorial To Confederate Soldiers Mere Machines of Labor Morrell House Moulder Hall Mountains, Men, and Maneuvers Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 91 My Favorite Boat Nathan Cook Brackett New Central Restaurant No Man's Land Office of Charles Washington Old English / Episcopal Cemetery Old Stone House / Star Lodge No. 1 Pack Horse Ford Pack Horse Ford Chapter, D.A.R. Peter Burr / William Burr Houses Peter Burr House Pilgrimage Power of the Potomac Pre Civil War Spring House Prize of War Protecting the Supply Lines Pvt Luke Quinn R.D. Shepherds Town Hall Racing West Railroad Embankment Railroads Ranson Veterans Memorial Rats in a Cage Reformed Church Parsonage Reformed Graveyard Revolutionary War Soldier Richwood Hall Riley House River Crossing River Wall Robert Tabb Ruins of St. George’s Chapel Rutherford House Samuel Washington House School House Ridge, Harpers Ferry, W.V. Sergeant Littleton Tazewell Cordell Setting the Trap Setting the Trap / Jackson Arrives Shenandoah Canal Shenandoah Pulp Factory Shenandoah River Shenandoah Street about 1880 Shepherd College / Shepherdstown Shepherd State Teachers College Shepherdstown Shepherdstown Shepherdstown Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association Shepherdstown Rally Point Sheridan Dug In Sheridan Fortifications Short-lived Sanctuary Simon Bolivar Site of the Execution of John Brown Six Acres That Changed the World Smith and Forging Shop Spirit of 1775 Spirit of 1775 Springhouses and Root Cellars St. John Lutheran Church St. John's Episcopal Church St. John's Lutheran Church St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church Stephen Tyng Mather Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters Storer College Veterans Memorial Gate Struggle to the Heights Sweets for Harpers Ferry Tailrace That was the happiest time of my life. The Abatis The Appalachian Trail and Benton MacKaye The Black Americans The Confederate Dead The Confederate Perspective The Fate of Harpers Ferry was sealed. The First Line of Defense: The Union Skirmish Line The First School for "Colored" in Jefferson County The First Year of War The Flagg House The Gilbert House The Greenback Raid The Harpers Ferry Bandstand The History of White House Farm The Iron Horse Wins The James H. Webb House The James Rumsey Bridge The John Brown Raiders The Moler Family The Mule Falters The Murphy Farm The Niagara Movement The Point The Puffinbarger House The Race to the Ohio The Right Reverend Ernest Eugene Baltimore The Second Meeting of the Niagara Movement The Spirit of 1775 The Stribling House The Trap Closes The Trial of John Brown Thomas Green House Thornton Tayloe Perry / Thornton Tayloe Perry II Trail to Upper Harpers Ferry Trinity Episcopal Church Two Treason Trials Union Church Cemetery Union Skirmish Line Valley View / Tackley Farm Virginia Lodge No. 1 Virginius Island Trail War Memorial Warehouse Washington's Land Water Tunnels Waterfront Commerce and the Mecklenburg Warehouse We Began Firing At Will: The 111th New York Regiment Weapons Under Fire Welcome to Historic Shepherdstown Welcome to St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church Welcome to the Confederate Cemetery West Virginia / Virginia Where Three National Trails Meet White Hall Tavern White House Farm William Lemen Williams House Wizard Clip World War I Memorial York Hill Zion Episcopal Churchyard "A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step." "Beallair" "Blakeley" "Claymont Court" "Coloured" Grave Yard "for the deposit of arms" "Locust Hill" "Prato Rio" "The War That Ended Slavery" "Travelers' Rest" “The Bower”
The West Virginia State Capitol, located in Charleston, was completed in 1932 and features a gold dome that is taller than the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Jefferson County, West Virginia, is a region steeped in rich history. Its origins can be traced back to the early 18th century when European settlers first arrived in the area. In 1801, Jefferson County was established following the division of Berkeley County, and it was named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson. One of the county's most significant events occurred during the American Civil War, with the Battle of Harper's Ferry taking place within its borders in 1862.

During the 19th century, Jefferson County experienced rapid growth due to its strategic location along the Potomac River and the development of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. These transportation routes facilitated trade and commerce, leading to the establishment of various industries, including flour mills, tanneries, and iron foundries. As a result, Jefferson County became known as an important center of manufacturing and trade in the region.

The abolitionist movement also had a strong presence in Jefferson County, largely due to its proximity to Harper's Ferry, where John Brown conducted his famous raid in 1859. Many local residents actively supported the Underground Railroad, assisting enslaved individuals in their quest for freedom. The county's role in the fight against slavery adds to the historical significance of Jefferson County.

In recent years, Jefferson County has experienced a steady population growth, becoming a hub for commuters working in neighboring cities. Its charming small towns, picturesque landscapes, and preserved historic sites continue to attract visitors and make Jefferson County a fascinating destination for those interested in its diverse and significant history.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Jefferson County, West Virginia.

  • 1801 - Jefferson County is established in the new state of West Virginia.
  • 1803 - Charles Town becomes the county seat.
  • 1806 - Shepherdstown is incorporated as the first town in the county.
  • 1844 - The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reaches Jefferson County, facilitating growth and trade.
  • 1861-1865 - Jefferson County experiences the impact of the American Civil War.
  • 1863 - The Battle of Shepherdstown takes place during the Civil War.
  • 1871 - Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is established, preserving the area's significant history.
  • 1909 - The Virginia Air Line Railway opens, providing additional transportation options.
  • 1944 - The U.S. Navy establishes the Naval Ordnance Works, bringing more employment opportunities.
  • 1971 - Historic Shepherdstown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • 2010 - Jefferson County experiences population growth and increased economic development.