Harper’s Ferry: Storer College History

June 13, 2017 10:08 pm Published by

Harper's ferry

Following the Civil war there were over 30,000 newly freed slaves in the Shenandoah Valley. Recognizing the need for education, the Freedman’s Bureau, the Freewill Baptists of New England and John Storer came together and Storer College was born. The school survived for 88 years, enriching the lives of hundreds of students.

The first building to open its doors to students was the Lockwood House, formerly the U.S. Armory Paymaster’s home. In 1865, as a representative of New England’s Freewill Baptist Home Misssion Society, Reverend Nathan Brackett established a primary school in the war-torn building and began teaching reading, writing and arithmetic to students. From Harpers Ferry, Rev. Brackett directed he efforts of dedicated missionary teachers, who provided a basic education to thousands of former slaves congregated in the relatively safe haven of the Shenandoah Valley by the end of the Civil War…

Read more at NPS: Storer College History!

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