Remembering John Brown's Conviction in Charles Town
This week in West Virginia history
Williamson Daily News | Wednesday, November 5, 2025
On November 2, 1859, John Brown was convicted of murder, treason, and insurrection in the Jefferson County Courthouse located in Charles Town. His infamous raid on Harpers Ferry provoked a national crisis, intensifying divisions between the North and South and drastically reducing possibilities for compromise that could prevent the Civil War. This historical event is a significant part of the region's narrative, as reported by the Williamson Daily News.
