Civil War Adventures
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October 2, 2003

Senator Craig Thomas
Chairman
Subcommittee on National Parks
Room SD-364
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510 REF: S. 1576

Dear Senator Thomas and fellow members of the Committee:

I am extremely honored to appear before you today to testify on behalf of S. 1576—a bill to revise the boundary of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

Appreciation to Senator Byrd

First, however, I must acknowledge the vision and persistence of Senator Byrd in introducing this significant legislation. Senator Byrd has worked tirelessly to preserve and protect Harpers Ferry Park for nearly fifty years. Senator Byrd was the first to appreciate that threatened historic resources existed just west and south of the present park boundary in Jefferson County, West Virginia. In 1988, Senator Byrd mandated that the National Park Service conduct a Special Boundary Study to identify these historic sites and make the public aware of their existence. Through the leadership of Senator Byrd, Harpers Ferry received national attention as a Priority I Civil War battlefield in 1993, spotlighting the uncertain future of Harpers Ferry’s threatened historic resources. In 2000, the Senate Appropriations Committee (through Senator Byrd) instructed the National Park Service to conduct public hearings to determine the will of the people regarding the expansion of the park boundary to preserve and interpret these historic sites. The overwhelming affirmative response from the public inspired Senator Byrd to introduce S. 1576. We are grateful.

My Involvement

As former Staff Historian and later Chief of Interpretation & Cultural Resources Management at Harpers Ferry NHP, I am intimately familiar with the park’s complex and layered history. I worked at Harpers Ferry Park for 20 years, and during that time, my research discovered nationally significant historic resources that were excluded from park protection and interpretation. To inform the public about these resources and potential threats to their integrity, I wrote articles for publication in national Civil War magazines and news journals; lectured to interest groups across the nation; offered guided tours and visits to the sites; engaged national preservation organizations; and sought opportunities for positive media coverage. I also inaugurated an educational program for Jefferson County grade school students that culminated in an annual field trip to one of the principal historic sites. In addition, I initiated land preservation opportunities with the Civil War Trust, the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, and the Civil War Preservation Trust, which resulted in the acquisition of nearly 230 acres of pristine battlefield adjacent to the park boundary.

Superintendent Campbell’s Leadership

Donald W. Campbell, the masterful and incomparable Superintendent of Harpers Ferry Park for the past 24 years, embraced my research and discoveries, and he quickly grasped the value and potential threats to the historic resources located adjacent to the park’s present boundary. For the past 15 years, Superintendent Campbell has responded to Senator Byrd’s mandates to:

1) publicly identify these resources;
2) assess their condition and significance;
3) inform and educate both local and national communities about their existence;
4) consult with constituent groups (such as Friends of Harpers Ferry Park, the Harpers Ferry Conservancy, the Jefferson County NAACP, and national preservation organizations);
5) meet and work directly with private landowners to accommodate their interests and concerns;
6) apprise elected officials at local, state, and national levels about ongoing preservation efforts

This mammoth task has required dozens of meetings, hundreds of hours, and thousands of people. But Superintendent Campbell’s extraordinary persistence, leadership, and vision generated the momentum and consensus necessary to permit Senator Byrd to introduce legislation to expand the Harpers Ferry Park boundary.

Current Boundary Acreage Maximized

Inclusion of the Murphy Farm and several smaller tracts within the Harpers Ferry NHP boundary in 2003 maximized the park at its acreage ceiling of 2,505 acres.

Superintendent Campbell cooperated with an extensive local and national coalition that produced the recently concluded acquisition of the Murphy Farm. This extraordinary 100-acre site, comprising the southern portion of Bolivar Heights, is the location of Confederate General A. P. Hill’s flanking maneuver that ensured the largest surrender of United States troops during the Civil War on September 15, 1862. It also served as home to the relocated John Brown Fort from 1895-1909, where Civil Rights activist W.E.B. Dubois and 100 members of the 1906 Niagara Movement conference made a pilgrimage in 1906.

Through Superintendent Campbell’s diligent and protracted relationship with Jim Murphy and his mother Josephine Murphy Curtis—who tirelessly worked to preserve their farm and the memory of their ancestors—the National Park Service completed acquisition of the Murphy Farm in 2003, whereupon it was included within the park. Expanded Boundary will Protect Additional Historic Sites

The National Park Service boundary report, completed in September, 2002 (and since revised), recommends adding 1,240 acres to the park. This will expand the boundary to a total of 3,745 acres.

Of the 1,240 acres, nearly 63% (772 acres) already are owned by the federal government. This acreage is adjacent to, but not within, the present park boundary. The historic resources within this federal acreage are located on the southern end of School House Ridge and on Loudoun Heights.

The School House Ridge federal property has been identified as “Jackson’s right flank.” On September 13-14, 1862, during Stonewall Jackson’s siege of Harpers Ferry, Confederate General A. P. Hill’s division occupied this position, and from here, it embarked on its successful flanking maneuver to the Murphy Farm. The federal government owns 267 acres at this site, all of which will be included within the expanded park boundary.

The Loudoun Heights tract consists of 375 federally-owned acres, currently administered by the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. This property, which is rich in Civil War archeological resources, was donated to the United States, ultimately to be included within Harpers Ferry NHP. The expanded boundary will permit these sensitive Civil War resources to receive appropriate protection and preservation treatment, as well as honor the original intent of the donor.

Of the remaining 368 private acres to be included within the new boundary, 48% (177 acres) is owned by the Civil War Preservation Trust on School House Ridge. CWPT acquired this property in 2002 for the express purpose of donating it to Harpers Ferry NHP. The boundary expansion will permit this donation as well as permit public access to and interpretation of Stonewall Jackson’s 1862 siege battlefield.

This leaves 291 acres of private land (or 23% of the 1,240-acre boundary expansion). The bulk of this is included within five tracts, and property owners have been made aware of the expansion proposal and the historical significance of their lands. Most of this land is located on School House Ridge, where Stonewall Jackson placed nearly 15,000 men during his 1862 investment of Harpers Ferry. Inclusion of this property within the expanded boundary is necessary to protect Jackson’s battlefield and eventually offer a complete interpretation of the military actions that transpired here.

Conclusion

I urge the members of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks to support S. 1576, co-sponsored by Senators Byrd and Rockefeller. Both senators recognize the importance of including the nationally significant resources on School House Ridge and Loudoun Heights within the protection of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Both senators understand the economic benefits West Virginia derives from the preservation of Harpers Ferry. Both senators have witnessed the public support for expansion of the boundary by 1,240 acres to a maximum of 3,745 acres. Thank you for offering your support to Senators Byrd and Rockefeller and S. 1576.

Sincerely,
Dennis E. Frye, Historian