THE STORY
Reported Haunting
John Brown's Fort was the final stronghold of abolitionist John Brown and his raiders during the 1859 Harpers Ferry raid. Visitors sometimes report an oppressive or charged atmosphere, unexplained sensations and encounters with a solemn white-haired figure said to resemble Brown.
The small brick building now called John Brown's Fort was constructed in 1848 as the Harpers Ferry Armory's fire-engine and guard house. During John Brown's October 1859 raid, Brown and surviving members of his party barricaded themselves inside before U.S. Marines stormed the building. The structure has been moved several times and now stands near its original location in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Local ghost lore associates the site with unexplained sensations and a white-haired male apparition believed by some visitors to resemble Brown. Some stories describe a mysterious Brown-like figure who disappears or fails to appear in photographs.