107 Public Way, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia 25425
VISIT
Money takes a strange hold of people, and at the Harper House, it seems money is what is keeping at least one spirit floating around the old house.
Construction of the home began in 1775 and carried on for a number of years due to delays brought on by the Revolutionary War. The house was finally completed in 1782.
The home was intended for the town founder, Robert Harper, and his wife, Rachel, but neither had a chance to enjoy their new home. About two years before the house was completed, Rachel fell off a ladder and died. Robert passed on the year the house was completed but never had a chance to live in the home.
So, what about the money? Well, Robert Harper ran a ferry (hence the name Harpers Ferry). Apparently, he made a boatload of cash (see what I did there? boat . . . ferry). He and his wife were being heavily taxed by the British who were trying to pay debts from the French and Indian War. As a business owner, Harper was an easy target for a tax payment, so he and Rachel decided to hide their money from the British.
As the house was under construction, Rachel began burying cash in the area that would become the garden. Problem was, she never told Robert where she hid it. Then, she died. Then, he died. Mo’ money. Mo’ problems.
The Harpers had no children, so the house was left to their niece. The home stayed in the family until the twentieth century when it housed a bar for some time before standing abandoned for many years. Eventually, Harpers Ferry became a national monument and fell under federal government care. Today, the house has been restored and greets guests as a museum.
Visitors to the house have reported feeling the presence of two spirits. Some have even seen a woman, wearing an early-American style dress standing in a window looking out toward the garden. They say it’s Rachel Harper looking at the spot where she buried her treasure. The other presence might be Robert Harper, finally getting to enjoy his home.
Harpers Ferry has several interesting places to visit. Check with the National Park Service for opening times.
Haunted House Hunting 