HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. – Join Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (NHP) and the Storer College National Alumni Association (SCNAA) on Oct. 2 from 3 to 5 p.m. as we honor the legacy of Storer College with special programming where the college was established 155 years ago.
Storer College was founded in October 1867, becoming the first higher education institution in West Virginia open to African Americans and operating continuously until 1955. What began as a one-room missionary school for formerly enslaved men and women grew into a college that provided both an education and a sense of community for African American students. Today, Harpers Ferry NHP preserves the former campus and the stories of those who lived, learned and taught there.
The commemoration will begin at 3 p.m. with a special ceremony and an anniversary proclamation at the Soldier’s Gate by SCNAA president James Green, Jr. There will also be a tolling of the bells in memory of deceased Storer College alumni.
Other speakers include:
Storer College alumni and their descendants.
Tyrone Brandyburg, Superintendent, Harpers Ferry NHP.
Cathy Baldau, Executive Director, Harpers Ferry Park Association.
Dr. Bondy Shay Gibson-Learn, Superintendent, Jefferson County Schools.
Greg Vaughn, Mayor, Corporation of Harpers Ferry.
George Rutherford, President, Jefferson County NAACP.
Lynn Pechuekonis, author of Man of Sterling Worth: Professor William A. Saunders of Storer College.
Emma Dacol, producer/director of documentary Briscoe: Man of Science and Substance.
Following the ceremony, join a park ranger in front of the Mather Training Center at 3:45 p.m. for a program on the Lockwood House, birthplace of Storer College.
The Storer College exhibit on the first floor of the Mather Training Center (formerly Anthony Hall) will be open during the program for visitors to see photos and museum collection items and learn more about the alumni of the school.
Parking is located at 51 Mather Place, Harpers Ferry. Overflow parking is available across the street from the event at Curtis Freewill Baptist Church.
This event will be held rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather, outdoor activities will be held in the Mather Training Center.