Happy Anniversary!----Harpers Ferry Historical Society Celebrates 40th Year

The Harpers Ferry Historical Association, established in 1971, is a not-for-profit association that provided over $1 million to enhance the interpretive and education programs of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the National Park Service. The association has helped fund park public education programs, living history events, Artists-in-Residence, media for curriculum-based learning, publications, and visitor information assistance.

These donations enhance the visitor experience at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The association helped fund John Brown Remembered: The 150th Anniversary of the Raid on Harpers Ferry and funds the annual re-creation of Election Day 1860. Online, the HFHA offers the Harpers Ferry Explorer, an interactive virtual tour that showcases the history and beauty of Harpers Ferry. The association publishes "A Walker's Guide to Harpers Ferry" and other park publications.

For classrooms the HFHA provides materials for teachers and students for the annual School House Ridge Education Program for all 5th grade students in Jefferson County. The association hosts an annual Book and Author Festival. In partnership with the town of Harpers Ferry and the national historical park, the association supports the annual Keeping Christmas event.

Funds are generated through the park's bookshop, which offers over 3,000 items to help the visitor understand Harpers Ferry's unique place in history. Harpers Ferry Historical Association has over 500 members in the United States and Canada. Memberships are as follow and each include bookstore discounts.
$25 Armory Worker
$45 Millwright
$100 Master Armorer
$250 Paymaster
$500 Armory Superintendent

The 2011 schedule of 28 events hosted in the park by the HFHA includes Thomas Jefferson and his Notes on Virginia, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the War of 1812, John Brown's Raid, Inventors, Inventions and Technolgy, food gardening/harvesting/preserving, Storer College and the Niagra Movement, Civil War cavalry, medicine, quartermasters, infantry combat, cider and creamed ice making.

CWL, an HFHA member, travels to Harper's Ferry two or three times a year and is in the park as well as the Appalachian Trail equipment store, the Ceramics Co-0p store and of course the bookstore. Here is the Harper's Ferry Historical Association's online site.