Harpers Ferry News and Updates

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Click the image above to access a special page set up by the Corporation of Harpers Ferry to communicate important announcements and other information to residents, merchants, and visitors concerning COVID-19.

NPS announces footbridge repairs to begin this week - 21 May 2020

The National Park Service has issued a permit to CSX to repair the Goodloe E. Byron Pedestrian Walkway (footbridge) across the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. CSX will begin the project this week and anticipates that it will be completed by the end of July assuming no weather or pandemic related delays. Read more here.

¤ Update on paid public parking and restrooms in Harpers Ferry - updated 20 May 2020

Effective 27 March 2020, all public parking within the Corporation of Harpers Ferry was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the Governor's current plan for reopening the state for business, the Town government reopened paid street parking along Potomac Street in the Lower Town and uphill on Washington Street. The National Park Service parking lots at the train station and on Shenandoah Street near US 340 have also been reopened.

Please note that street parking on all other streets in Harpers Ferry is restricted to residents with valid parking permits only. Additionally, all other parking lots within the town have not been reopened to the public. Unauthorized parking in any area will result in a traffic citation.

Please note that the public restroom facilities in the Lower Town area are within the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and do not belong to the Town. As the Park is still officially closed, the restroom facilities are also closed. Visitors are advised that there are no restroom facilities open for public use at this time. There are also no public trash receptacles in the Park. All visitors must take their trash with them when leaving.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park CLOSED

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park announces that following guidance from the CDC and recommendations from state and local public health authorities in consultation with NPS Public Health Service officers, the following Park buildings and services are temporarily closed as of 18 March 2020:

• ALL PUBLIC RESTROOMS, including the Lower Town Harpers Ferry area, Schoolhouse Ridge, and the Visitor Center
• Entrance station / fee collection
• Visitor Center
• Shuttle buses
• Bookshop
• Information Center
• Lower Town museums and exhibits
• Train station
• Ranger programs

Park trails remain open at this time. Updates will be posted at the Park's Current Conditions webpage.

Update on pedestrian footbridge across the Potomac River

At approximately 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, 21 December 2019, a CSX freight train derailed at Harpers Ferry. Several freight cars plunged into the Potomac River. The derailment destroyed a portion of the Goodloe E. Byron Memorial Pedestrian Walkway, which is attached to the railroad bridge, preventing access across the Potomac River. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with CSX and other agencies to determine the steps required to assess, fund, and repair this pedestrian footbridge. The timeline for reopening the footbridge is unknown at this time. NPS posts updates here as they become available.

Update on 2019 municipal election contest

On 24 August 2019, the Town Council of the Corporation of Harpers Ferry heard testimony and received evidence in the trial of Case v. Johnson, No. 2019-HFTC-01, contesting a previous decision to reject four provisional ballots in the 2019 Harpers Ferry municipal elections. On 11 September, the Town Council issued its majority opinion and order, rejecting the four provisional ballots. A dissenting opinion was also issued. The case was appealed, and oral arguments were heard by the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on 19 May 2020. A special page has been established to detail the events of this case, including updated court filings and decisions. Click here to access these updates.

Notice of vacancies on boards of Town government

The Corporation of Harpers Ferry is actively seeking volunteers to serve on the following boards of the Town government:

• Board of Zoning Appeals (one alternate vacancy)
• Planning Commission (two vacancies)
• Water Commission (two vacancies)
• Parks and Recreation Commission (one vacancy)

Those individuals interested in seeking appointment to any of these commissions should send a letter of interest to the Town Clerk at clerk@harpersferrywv.us.

Notice of water rate increases

After conducting a public hearing on 22 February 2018, the Town Council approved the second and final reading of Ordinance 2017-09, which increases water rates in two steps. The first step of an increase of 5% on water service rates only (not sewer service) went into effect at the 1 June 2018 billing.

The second step, a 29% increase on water service rates, will take effect 60 days prior to the closing on the USDA loan for the water system infrastructure project, expected to occur in the spring of 2019.

Ordinance 2017-09 can be read in its entirety here.

Information on paid parking in Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry has instituted three paid parking zones to improve safety and better regulate the very limited parking within the Corporation. Two of the zones, 7510 and 7520, are on Washington Street (Alt. U.S. 340). The third is on Potomac Street in Lower Town. The cost for parking is $1.00 per hour in Zone 7510, $2.00 per hour in Zone 7520, and $3.00 per hour in Zone 7515. Parking may be purchased in half-hour segments. Payment may be made using the Parkmobile cell phone app. To use Parkmobile, open the app, enter zone number, select amount of time desired, and pay by major credit card or PayPal. Visitors may find it easier to download the app to their cell phones before visiting Harpers Ferry to simplify their parking experience at the following link: http://us.parkmobile.com/mobile-apps.

Paid parking is strictly enforced in all three zones between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Sunday through Saturday. Violators may be fined and /or towed. Parking is free in all paid parking zones after 6:00 p.m. and before 8:00 a.m. Sunday through Saturday.

All sides streets within the Corporation of Harpers Ferry are parking by residential permit only. Violators may be fined and / or towed. Permits for residents and their guests may be purchased at Town Hall.

Harpers Ferry Water Works customers can pay online.  To learn more, click here.

List of businesses licensed in Harpers Ferry

The Corporation maintains a list of operators and companies licensed to perform business in Harpers Ferry. These businesses have volunteered to appear on this public list. To review the list, click here.