On a site personally selected by George Washington, the Harpers Ferry armory was built in 1798 and started making weapons the next year. It produced guns, ammo, and parts for the U.S. military until 1861, including supplies for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

At first, the armory didn’t help the local economy much because materials came from other states, and there were issues with unfair hiring practices. Later, new transportation, such as the C&O Canal and B&O Railroad, helped the area grow.

Harpers Ferry became important during the Industrial Revolution. It used factory-style production and helped develop interchangeable parts. In the 1830s and 1840s, gun designs improved, and by 1855, many rifled muskets were being made and marked “HARPERS FERRY.”