Harpers Ferry station

Harpers Ferry station is a railway station in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. It is served by the Amtrak Capitol Limited intercity service as well as MARC Brunswick Line commuter service. The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Harpers Ferry Historic District. It has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the CSX Cumberland Subdivision. The station is not accessible.

Harpers Ferry, WV
Harpers Ferry station in 2008
General information
Location	120 Potomac Street Harpers Ferry, West Virginia United States
Owned by	National Park Service
Line(s)	CSX Cumberland Subdivision
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	PanTran
Construction
Parking	98 spaces
Accessible	No[1]
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: HFY
History
Opened	1837
Rebuilt	1894
Passengers
FY 2023	6,032[2] (Amtrak)
November 2022	18 (daily)[3] (MARC)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Martinsburg toward Chicago Capitol Limited Rockville toward Washington, D.C. Preceding station MARC Following station Duffields towards Martinsburg Brunswick Line Brunswick towards Union Station
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Martinsburg Terminus Blue Ridge ended 1986 Brunswick toward Washington, D.C. Duffields toward Cincinnati (River Road) Shenandoah ended 1981 Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station Duffields toward Chicago Main Line Brunswick toward Jersey City Engle toward Chicago Sandy Hook toward Jersey City Millville toward Strasburg Strasburg Branch Terminus
Future services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Martinsburg toward Chicago Floridian Nov. 2024 Rockville toward Miami
Harpers Ferry Train Station
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Coordinates	39°19′28″N 77°43′52″W
Architect	E. Francis Baldwin
Part of	Harpers Ferry Historic District (ID79002584)
Added to NRHP	1979

History

Early history

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) began building westward from Baltimore in 1828 and reached Point of Rocks in 1832. It planned to continue westward along the north bank of the Potomac River to Cumberland, Maryland, which conflicted with the competing Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. A 1833 decision by the Maryland state legislature prevented the B&O from using its planned north bank route west of Harpers Ferry.^[4]: 3 The railroad decided to cross the Potomac into West Virginia at Harpers Ferry to connect with the under-construction Winchester and Potomac Railroad (W&P).^[4]: 5 The B&O line was completed to a point across from Harpers Ferry on December 1, 1834.^[4]: 4

The B&O replaced the existing turnpike bridge with a new single-track bridge. It had a sharp curve on the north end, since the line had to wrap around Maryland Heights, and aligned with the W&P on the south end.^[4]: 4 The B&O built a small ticket office measuring 20 by 30 feet (6.1 m × 9.1 m) in Harpers Ferry. Service on the W&P and the new bridge began in 1837.^[4]: 6 The B&O intended to follow the W&P to Charles Town, West Virginia, before turning westward but the W&P refused to grant trackage rights. Instead, the B&O line followed a narrow right-of-way along the edge of the Harpers Ferry Armory, which required a second tight curve at the south end of the bridge.^[4]: 8 Construction began in 1839 and reached Cumberland in late 1842.^[4]: 11 The B&O and the W&P built separate freight houses in Harpers Ferry around 1846.^[4]: 6 The B&O leased the W&P in 1867 as its Valley Branch.^[5]

1894 bridge and station

Drawing of the 1894-built station

The railroad bridge was destroyed during the Civil War and rebuilt on the same piers. Despite a growing recognition that the outdated bridge and sharp curves were an impediment to operations, the B&O did not begin work on a replacement until 1892.^[4]: 12 A tunnel was bored through Maryland Heights, allowing a new double-track bridge to be built with gentler curves. The tracks through Harpers Ferry were realigned further inland across the former armory site.^{[4]: 13–19} The B&O constructed a new station at the junction between the relocated main line and the W&P. It was a 101-by-21-foot (30.8 m × 6.4 m) one-story wooden structure with a two-story tower at one end. It opened in fall 1894.^{[4]: 25–30} The station was designed by E. Francis Baldwin, who was the architect for a number of B&O stations in that era.^{[4]: 20–24}

The B&O added a three-sided wooden shelter on the north (westbound) platform in October 1898. It was enlarged in 1910, with part of the structure fully enclosed. Poor sightlines on the curve and busy train traffic resulted in passengers being fatally struck by trains.^[4]: 31 In 1913, the B&O constructed a pedestrian tunnel ('subway') connecting the station building and the shelter.^{[4]: 32–33} It was part of a larger set of saefty improvements to the line between Harpers Ferry and Brunswick, Maryland. The B&O drew up plans in 1913 for a new brick station at Harpers Ferry but did not construct it.^[4]: 32

1931 bridge and relocation

By the 1920s, even the gentler curves of the 1894-built bridge were an impediment for heavier and faster freight trains.^[4]: 39 In 1930–31, the B&O built a new double-track bridge upstream from the existing bridge. The tracks on the West Virginia side were again realigned, with curvature decreased from nine degrees to four degrees.^[4]: 40 The westbound shelter was moved to the new alignment in February 1931; it connected to a new passenger subway.^[4]: 47 The interior of the station building was renovated in 1931, with a boiler room replacing the former women's waiting room.^[4]: 48 The building was relocated on April 15, 1931.^[4]: 49 It was connected to the south end of the subway with a new section of new roof.^[4]: 47

Amtrak and MARC

The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1979, as part of the Harpers Ferry Historic District.^[6][7]

In 2007, the station was rededicated following a $2.2 million renovation, which included restoration of the station's tower.^[6]

References

1. "MARC Station Information". Maryland Transit Administration. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
2. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of West Virginia" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
3. "MARC Brunswick Line Technical Report" (PDF). Maryland Transit Administration. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
4. Lee, Andrew S. (2003). Historical Background Report: Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Harpers Ferry Station (PDF). National Park Service.
5. Corporate History of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad: Foreword. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. 1922. p. 13.
6. "Harpers Ferry, WV station". Great American Stations. Amtrak.
7. Harpers Ferry Planning Commission (November 1, 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Harpers Ferry Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011.

External links

Media related to Harpers Ferry station at Wikimedia Commons

• Harpers Ferry, WV – Amtrak
• Harpers Ferry, WV – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)