Harper House: The Mansion on the Hill

In 1775, Harpers Ferry founder Robert Harper chose this hillside for his home, which was completed in 1782, the year he died before ever living there. Because Harper had no children, he left the property to his niece, Sara Harper Wagner. On September 6, 1832, her granddaughter Sarah Ann married Noah H. Swayne in the house. Known as "The Mansion," the home remained in the Swayne family for 89 years. As the oldest surviving structure in Harpers Ferry, it has served as a tavern, residence, rental property, abandoned ruin, and restored exhibit. From this hill, early residents watched Harpers Ferry grow from a tiny village into a thriving industrial community. On January 21, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln nominated Noah H. Swayne as his first appointee to the Supreme Court of the United States, where Swayne served for nineteen years, worked to improve the status of African Americans, and fought to ratify the 15th Amendment guaranteeing voting rights for all citizens.

Lovettsville, Maryland · United States