History is the heart of the Washington Heritage Trail, much of it centered around the time George Washington spent in the region. The entire area was once part of Thomas Lord Fairfax’s millions of acres. His young protege Washington surveyed throughout the region, returned often and eventually owned land in all three counties. Washington’s first elected position was to represent this area in the Virginia House of Burgesses. He defended the region in the French and Indian War and drew from it some of his most valued soldiers for the Revolution. Other colorful historic characters populate sites along the trail including Washington colleagues like General Adam Stephen and inventor James Rumsey. John Brown and Belle Boyd owe their notoriety to the Civil War.

History also casts the area as key in the development of transportation west including river traffic, canals and the seminal B&O Railroad which served as the cause for tearing the three counties from the Motherland of Virginia and tossing them to the new state of West Virginia.
Five 18th-century towns still serve as the centerpiece of life in the area offering lodging, dining, shopping and cultural activities. All bear the imprint of association with George Washington. Harpers Ferry was selected by the first president as site of a federal armory, an action that brought Lewis and Clark there to outfit their famous expedition and John Brown to launch his failed insurrection. Today, the town is celebrated in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

Charles Town was developed by and named for Washington’s younger brother, Charles. The city recently completed a multi-million-dollar restoration of its downtown. Citizens of Shepherdstown proposed their riverside settlement for consideration as the nation’s capital and today it reigns as one of the most chic towns in the state and home to Shepherd University. Berkeley Springs was Washington’s favorite getaway where he came to “take the waters,” and helped establish it as the country’s first spa. Today, the town is still known as a spa getaway and as one of the best small art towns in the country. Martinsburg was founded by Washington’s military colleague, Adam Stephen and boasts several phases of industrial development as first a railroad then a mill center. Today, it is the only city along the trail.

This website and accompanying guide to the trail is laid out by county, highlights the five towns and leads you in detail to each of the more than 40 official sites.