Passing through this region in 1747, Robert Harper - a Pennsylvania architect contracted to build a Quaker church in the Shenandoah Valley - was so impressed by the beauty of this place and the water-power potential of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers that he settled here and founded Harpers Ferry.

When Harper died in 1782, there were only three houses in the town. Optimistic about the community's potential for growth, however, Harper had set aside this 4-acre cemetery. Childless, Harper left most of his estate to his niece, Sarah, who subsequently married a Wager. As you wander around the cemetery, you'll find the grave markers of some of Sarah Wager's descendants as well as stones of Irish and German immigrants who settled in this area during the 1830's.

There is a report of a young couple that decided to walk through the cemetery late at night. As they were going from headstone to headstone reading off the names, they heard some strange noises from behind them, as if someone was walking over to see what they were up too late at night in the cemetery. They sat there quiet for several minutes and the sound stopped. They started going on with there spooky adventures, when they heard the sound again. This time when they turned around, they saw want looked like little balls of light swirl around and disappear into one of the headstones in in the distance. After witnessing that, they quickly went back to their car and left the area.