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John Brown’s Fort at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The building was originally constructed in 1848 for use as a guard and fire engine house. The abolitionist John Brown and his small army captured the armory at Harpers Ferry on the night of 16 October 1859 and took 60 citizens of the town as hostage. The local militia and armed townspeople killed several of the insurrectionists and forced the remainder to take up a position inside the fire engine house. US marines battered down the door and stormed the fire house on the morning of the 18th, capturing Brown and killing several more of his men, while suffering one fatality and freeing all the hostages. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.