3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 111 buildings. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1907 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1833.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Harrisville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Harrisville is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Harrisville’s overall grade.
West Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical West Virginia town has 29.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Harrisville’s 718 sits above most of its state (88% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 113 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1822.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.2 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Harrisville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town was laid out in 1822 by Thomas Harris, who had moved his family there in 1807. The town was chartered in 1832, and the first post office opened in 1833, under the name Solus. The name was later changed to Ritchie Court House, and then changed again to Harrisville in 1895, when the town was named for Gen. Thomas Harris, nephew of the founder. Ritchie County was formed in 1843, and the first courthouse was built in 1844. It was replaced by a brick structure in 1874. The present courthouse, a Harrisville landmark, was completed in late 1923.
Between 140 and 1,876 people in every census since 1870.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Harrisville’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices and burying grounds
Harrisville’s post office has been open since 1870. Another post office, Solus, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Solus
1833–1847
Harrisville
1870–today
18301930today
1cemetery inside Harrisville
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Harrisville’s history
What year was Harrisville founded?
In 1822, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Harrisville’s post office opened in 1833, and the census of 1870 counted 140 people here.
How does Harrisville rank for history?
Harrisville is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Harrisville?
Three places: the Harrisville Grade School (listed 1997), the Ritchie County Courthouse (2004) and the Harrisville Historic District (2011).
How old are the homes in Harrisville?
24% of Harrisville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.2 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1969.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the Library of Congress (11), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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