Archeological Salvage, Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, West Virginia
Powell JW. 1978. Archeological Salvage, Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, West Virginia
Archeological excavations were undertaken by National Park Service personnel in the Lower Town portion of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia . A remnant of a nineteenth century commercial and industrial town, this was the site of John Brown's raid in 1859, and of occupations and battles during the Civil War. The economic foundation of the town was the manufacture of arms at Harpers Ferry Armory and Hall's Rifle Works. Excavation was necessary to mitigate the adverse effects on cultural resources of sewer line construction in Lower Town . Cultural data which would have been destroyed or disrupted were recovered from three primary areas of investigation: (1) the Alley behind the Master Armorer's House; (2) the Sidewalk between Potomac Street and Buildings 8 and 9; and (3) a portion of the lot where an Armory Worker's Dwelling was located historically.