Jefferson Rock is a rock formation on the Appalachian Trail above lower Harpers Ferry in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The landmark is right behind St. Peters Roman Catholic Church. It consists of several large masses of shale rock, piled one upon the other situated before the junction of Shenandoah River and the Potomac River.
It’s named after Thomas Jefferson, who stood there on October 25, 1783. He found the view from the rock impressive and wrote in his journal on the State of Virginia that “this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic”.
The uppermost slab of Jefferson Rock originally rested on a natural stone foundation so narrow that it was unstable, because of this four stone pillars were placed under each corner of the uppermost slab sometime between 1855 and 1860.
