Harper Cemetery

Very cool old cemetery with graves dating back to the 1700's.

Saw this cemetery while passing by it on the Appalachian Trail near Jefferson Rock.

A wonderful, organic cemetery that respectfully pays homage to the town’s history.

It’s nice to walk around, read the grave stones and take in the view. It’s a quiet and peaceful place to escape the crowds and ponder the history of Harpers Ferry and the people who came before us. See if you can find the gravestone for the town’s founder.

A wonderful old cemetery with a great view. Even though it has graves dating back to the late 18th Century, new burials still take place there. It’s important to remember that other visitors you see may be visiting the recently deceased so please be respectful. Likewise, many of those buried are the family members of local residents. Like much of Harpers Ferry, the cemetery is living history.nnSome interesting things about the cemetery:nn- There’s a Revolutionary War soldier buried there. His grave was lost for many years and only recently rediscovered during ongoing preservation work.nn- There are a number of graves belonging to members of several fraternal orders and many of their gravestones feature highly detailed symbolism that makes them very interesting to study. While some of the symbols are still in use, others have been forgotten. Take the time to look carefully as many contain hidden details that may surprise you.nn- You can be buried at the cemetery. The cemetery website has information about the plots for sale.nnThe trustees of the cemetery also ask that temporary visitors refrain from standing, sitting, leaning or rubbing on the monuments. The exposed location of the cemetery combined with the winter weather and frost heaves cause unseen damage causing some monuments to break very easily.nnThere are efforts underway to stabilize the monuments, but it’s a time consuming and expensive process. While visiting you may see some monuments laying flat on the ground and broken into several pieces. The monuments sometimes break and fall to the ground in one or two large pieces. However those in many pieces are the result of people standing on the fallen parts. Really. Please don’t do that. The restorations cost thousands of dollars and are paid for by donation. Please report any vandalism you witness to the police immediately. The cemetery is NOT part of the National Park and is maintained by volunteers. Please practice Leave No Trace in the cemetery.