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between 1806 and 1807, which separates it from the town of
Harpers Ferry. The canal was constructed to enable boats to bypass rapids on the river, and also channel water to drive machinery. In the nineteenth century Virginius Island contained Harpers Ferry's industry (aside from the Arsenal) and
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Industry only partially recovered after the war. Manufacturers and potential manufacturers faced competition from new steam-powered industry, which could be built in locations without water power. The biggest enterprise during this period was a pulp mill. In 1936 the worst recorded flood swept
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Under the auspices of the
National Park Service, the industrial and sociological history of Virginius Island have been studied in depth. Research has revealed the islanders' inadequate nutrition, high alcohol consumption, intestinal parasites. The materials for a study of the evolution of
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through the
Harpers Ferry area, and the remaining islanders fled, never to return. No structures on Virginius Island remained standing. Today, the ruins of its mills, foundries, factories, warehouses, and homes can be seen on walking tours. Some has been stabilized and signed by the
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Virginius Island was a thriving industrial town in the first half of the nineteenth century. The
Shenandoah was a great source of power by which to operate machinery. There was good access to markets via the
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Virginius Island
Waterpowered Mill Complex, North bank of Shenandoah River 0.5 mile from confluence with Potomac River, Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, WV
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supplying barrels to the flour mill, and a carriage shop. At its peak in 1850, upwards of 180 residents lived in some twenty houses.
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212:(1861–1865) The rifle factory was destroyed, as were some of the mills. The destruction of the
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They Worked
Regular: Craft, Labor, and Family in the Industrial Community of Virginius Island
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The Making of
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park: A Devil, Two Rivers, and a Dream
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Shenandoah Pulp Mill, Shenandoah Street, Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, WV
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Waterpower on
Virginius Island ca. 1824–1936. Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
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Midnight rising : John Brown and the raid that sparked the Civil War
192:, joining Harpers Ferry with Baltimore, and soon Washington as well, via
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549:", 12 photos, 10 measured drawings, 1 photo caption page
556:", 13 photos, 8 measured drawings, 1 photo caption page
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316:"A Nineteenth-Century Mill Village: Virginius Island, 1800-60"
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537:. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Archived from
43:. Note the train and roofless building near the center.
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Tourist attractions in
Jefferson County, West Virginia
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Historic
American Engineering Record in West Virginia
465:Virginius Island: Water Powered Industrial Village
505:A History of the Island of Virginius 1751 to 1870
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487:Social and Economic History of Virginius Island
208:Virginius Island suffered greatly during the
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587:Landforms of Jefferson County, West Virginia
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435:Shackel, Paul A.; Palus, Matthew M. (2006).
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377:
378:Moyer, Teresa S.; Shackel, Paul A. (2008).
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280:"Virginius Island and Hall's Island Trail"
245:water-powered machinery are in the ruins.
228:Inside the ruins of the cotton/flour mill.
220:Virginius Island's decline and destruction
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344:"The toll from the raid on Harpers Ferry"
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134:of some 12 acres (4.9 ha), on the
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502:Snell, Charles W. (December 4, 1958).
484:Sarles Jr., Frank B. (June 20, 1969).
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239:Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
165:Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
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473:Historic American Engineering Record
402:Historic American Engineering Record
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39:Virginius Island in 1864, seen from
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163:. Virginius Island is part of the
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290:from the original on July 5, 2021
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534:Virginius Island Map & Guide
260:List of islands of West Virginia
146:. The island was created by the
517:Harpers Ferry National Monument
414:from the original on 2021-07-05
182:Winchester and Potomac Railroad
602:Manufacturing in West Virginia
582:River islands of West Virginia
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445:University of Tennessee Press
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592:Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
513:Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
194:its new Potomac River Bridge
118:Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
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566:Shenandoah Pulp Mill (HAER)
462:Bergstresser, Jack (1987).
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190:Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
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531:Gilbert, David T. (2005).
180:, and even more after the
171:A thriving industrial town
155:working-class housing: a
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94:39.3214898°N 77.7391595°W
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497:, Dept. of the Interior.
130:is a formerly inhabited
255:John H. Hall (gunsmith)
204:Impact of the Civil War
99:39.3214898; -77.7391595
552:HAER No. WV-83, "
545:HAER No. WV-59, "
314:Johnson, Mary (1995).
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495:National Park Service
477:National Park Service
321:West Virginia History
284:National Park Service
235:National Park Service
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150:, constructed by the
568:at Wikimedia Commons
493:. Washington, D.C.:
441:Knoxville, Tennessee
214:Harpers Ferry Armory
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471:. HAER No. WV-35.
352:Henry Holt and Co.
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564:Media related to
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292:. Retrieved
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73:Coordinates
576:Categories
418:2021-07-05
266:References
161:row houses
85:77°44′21″W
82:39°19′17″N
511:. HF-29.
210:Civil War
198:cooperage
53:Geography
412:archived
342:(2011).
294:June 15,
288:Archived
286:. 2019.
249:See also
58:Location
328:: 1–27.
178:Potomac
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132:island
509:(PDF)
491:(PDF)
469:(PDF)
449:ISBN
356:ISBN
296:2021
159:and
186:CSX
138:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.