Gretchen McKay | (TNS) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette HARPERS FERRY, W. Va. — Nestled along two converging rivers, with the Blue Ridge Mountains’ precipitous cliffs offering a backdrop, Harpers Ferry has long been praised for its rugged natural beauty. Thomas Jefferson was definitely a fan. After visiting the West Virginia town at the height of fall color in October 1783, he wrote that “the passage of the Patowmac (Potomac) through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature….