Storer College (Tour)

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The Curtis Freewill Baptist Church was dedicated in 1896. The Freewill Baptist Church was instrumental in the establishment of Storer College and prior to the church’s construction the congregation held their meetings in buildings on the college campus. The church remained closely tied with Storer College through its years of active operation and was primarily an African American congregation in the 1900s until the college closed in the 1950s. Curtis Freewill Baptist Church is now owned by the National Park Service.

2. Storer College Soliders Gate and Alumni Fence

The Soldiers Gate and Alumni Fence was erected in 1920 to honor Storer College students who served in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I. The fence lines Fillmore Street between McDowell Street and Taylor Street and marks the main campus of Storer College. The Soldiers Gate and Alumni Fence is now part of the National Park Service property.

3. Anthony Memorial Hall (Conrad Wirth Hall/Mather Training Center)

Anthony Hall began as a dwelling constructed in 1847 to house officers from the U.S. armory at Harpers Ferry. After the Civil War the armory building was granted to Storer College. Between 1881 and 1955 Anthony Hall was the main building for Storer College, being damaged by multiple fires during that time. When the National Park Service acquired the building in the 1960s they renamed it Wirth Hall and it is now part of the Mather Training Center.

4. Lewis W. Anthony Industrial Building/Lewis Anthony Library

The Lewis W. Anthony Building was constructed in 1903 to house Storer College’s industrial training classes and transitioned to being the campus library in 1929. It was originally named the Lewis W. Anthony Industrial Building, but it now known as the Lewis Anthony Library. The building now serves as the library for the NPS Harpers Ferry Center.

5. Bird-Brady House

The Bird-Brady house was probably constructed between 1895 and 1897 and was owned by several faculty members of Storer College. The house is named for Elizabeth Brady Bird and Mabel S. Brady who owned it between 1944 and 1964 when they sold it to the National Park Service. It now serves as offices for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

6. Permelia Eastman Cook Hall

Permelia Eastman Cook Hall was constructed in 1940 as part of the Storer College campus. It originally housed the physics laboratory, home economics department, and dormitories for the college. Cook Hall is now administered by the National Park Service and is office space. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail has offices in Cook Hall.

7. Morrell House

The Morrell House, also known as the Paymaster’s Clerk’s Quarters, is a historic residence in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The home was originally built from 1857 through 1858 to house the U.S. Armory’s Paymaster’s Clerk, and was identical in design to the nearby Brackett House. The Morrell House was one of several buildings gifted by the government to Storer College in 1868. For fifteen years the structure housed Rev. Alexander Morrell, the home’s namesake. The Morrell House has also served various purposes such as a summer boarding house, an inn, and apartments for Storer teachers. After Storer College closed, the Morrell House was acquired by the National Park Service, and currently operates as the headquarters for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

8. Brackett House

The Brackett House, also known as the Superintendent’s Clerk’s House, is a historic residence in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The structure was built in 1858 to house the U.S. Armory’s superintendent’s clerk, and was one of four homes built on Camp Hill for armory officials. After the Civil War, all four homes were transferred to Storer College. The Brackett House is named after Storer’s founder and first president Rev. Nathan C. Brackett. For many years it housed Storer faculty and students and was also used as a summer boarding house. After Storer’s closure in 1955, the National Park Service acquired the Brackett House to provide office space for the organization.

9. Lockwood House

The historic Lockwood House, also known as the Paymaster’s Quarters, is one of the largest residences in Harpers Ferry. Constructed in 1848, the structure was originally used as the home for the U.S. Armory’s paymaster. During the Civil War the building was used several times as an army hospital and temporary headquarters for both Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan and Brig. Gen. Henry Lockwood. Following the war, the Lockwood House was used by Freewill Baptist missionaries as a school for freed slaves until it became Storer College. Lockwood House fell into disrepair when Storer began moving operations to new facilities at their campus on Camp Hill. In 1960, the National Park Service acquired Lockwood and restored the structure.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Storer College

Created by Caitlin Dalzell on September 13th 2014, 9:47:04 pm.

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Storer College was the first African American college in West Virginia. The institution was established by the Free Will Baptist church as a school for formerly enslaved person during the Civil War. In 1867, Storer was incorporated by the state as a school for African Americans under the leadership of the Rev. Nathan C. Brackett. Storer educated over 7,000 students in its nearly ninety-year history, including many prominent educators, lawyers, doctors, and politicians. The Storer College campus is now part of Harpers Ferry National Historic Park and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Anthony Memorial Hall is the most prominent building on campus and, like many of the Storer buildings that stand today, is used as an education center for the National Park Service.

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Storer College

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