Casualties of Time - Harpers Ferry, WV
Posted by: bluesnote
N 39° 19.306 W 077° 43.839
18S E 264605 N 4356040
Several buildings in Harpers Ferry succumbed to fire in the 1850s.
Waymark Code: WM13X5B
Location: West Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 03/05/2021
Views: 2
The plaque says, "Over two dozen armory workers' dwellings, ranging from modest frame cottages to substantial stone and brick houses, once fronted Shenandoah and Hamilton streets. The wood houses disappeared around mid-century, victims of fire and demolition. The government sold the remaining dwellings in 1852 to armory employees and others in an effort to secure a stable, land-owning workforce.
Buildings along the Shenandoah River proved extremely vulnerable to flooding. During the devastating 1870 flood, all houses but one on the south side of Shenandoah Street, "from the market house to the Island of Virginius," were destroyed or severely damaged."
Type of Structure: Private Building
Fire Date: 01/01/1850
Structure status: Plaque
Cause of Fire: Unknown
Documentation of the fire: [Web Link]
Other: Not listed
Construction Date: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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