Harper Cemetery — Attraction in Harpers Ferry

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.

Some interesting things about the cemetery:

There’s a Revolutionary War soldier buried there. His grave was lost for many years and only recently rediscovered during ongoing preservation work.

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.

You can be buried at the cemetery. The cemetery website has information about the plots for sale.

The 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.

There 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...

Just past St. Peter's Church along the somewhat lengthy Appalachian Trail staircase, Harper Cemetery is home to several hundred graves dating back to the 18th century to current years. There is a good amount of land devoted to the site, with plenty of space available for future gravesites.

Some time ago, an Eagle Scout project helped construct the beneficial walking path from lower to higher elevated areas. Grounds are maintained nicely, and the site is as nice as one can anticipate...

Worth the hike, if you start at the bottom of the hill in lower town! At the top, there is a historic cemetery that is well-maintained. The view of the Shenandoah & Potomac Confluence is unmatched from any other angle. You can see “Jefferson Rock,” where Thomas Jefferson stood one time, on the climb up....