Kennedy Farm

History: Abolitionist John Brown leased this simple log house in the summer of 1859 to plan a pre-Civil War raid designed to incite a slave uprising. Brown's associates gathered here, and an attempt to seize the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry was launched on October 16. The raid proved unsuccessful and Brown was executed for his role in it. But he became a martyr for the abolitionist cause. The Kennedy Farm, a National Historic Landmark, is located in Sharpsburg near the location of the Battle of Antietam, which occurred three years later.

More to Explore: A visit to the old Kennedy farmhouse should definitely be combined with a tour of Antietam National Battlefield, and even a quick trip into the town of Keedysville, which ended up becoming one vast hospital after the Battle of Antietam.

Harpers Ferry, the town where Brown's ill-fated raid took place, is six miles away. Today, it is home to several museums housed in historic buildings, and its location where two rivers converge - not to mention its proximity to the C&O Canal - make it a favorite spot for white-water rafting, kayaking, hiking, biking, fishing and rock climbing.

Photo Credits: “John Brown, three-quarter length portrait, facing left, holding New York Tribune”, “Harper’s Ferry insurrection – Interior of the Engine-House, just before the gate is broken down by the storming party – Col. Washington and his associates as captives, held by Brown as hostages”, “John Brown. Meeting the slave-mother and her child on the steps of Charlestown jail on his way to execution” & “Old John Brown’s residence, Kennedy farm, Maryland” Courtesy of: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division