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. The Pennsboro & Harrisville Railroad was built in 1875, operating between the two communities of its name. The broad-gauge Harrisville Southern Railroad ran to Cornwallis between about 1909 and 1929. Harrisville High School was established on the west end of town in 1894. That structure now houses the General Thomas M. Harris School Museum. A new school built overlooking Harrisville in 1924 served as Harrisville High School until 1986. The same school building served as Ritchie County High School until it was closed in 1994. The school building was demolished on December 16, 2017. A small portion of the original school building remains and is the headquarters of “Ritchie Regional Health Center.” The Harrisville High School gym still remains and is now a community workout center using the name "The Gym," restored by the Harrisville First Assembly of God using funds generated from grants, memberships and donations. General Harris, Harrisville's most distinguished citizen, died there in 1906. A medical doctor, Union officer and state adjutant general, he served on the military commission that tried the conspirators responsible for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. His son, John T. Harris, long-time clerk of the state Senate, founded the West VirginiaBlue Book in 1916. The Harrisville Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. The Harrisville Historic District, Harrisville Grade School, and the Ritchie County Courthouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town is home to historic Berdine's Five and Dime. Frank Deem, West Virginia state legislator and engineer, was born in Harrisville.
Geography
Harrisville is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
According to the 2010 census, there were 1,876 people, 787 households, and 496 families living in the town. The population density was. There were 917 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the town was 98.6% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population. There were 787 households, of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.0% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age in the town was 44.8 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 28.1% were from 45 to 64; and 21.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.2% male and 53.8% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,842 people, 780 households, and 516 families living in the town. The population density was 1,120.0 inhabitants per square mile. There were 889 housing units at an average density of 540.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 98.59% White, 0.05% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population. There were 780 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.80. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $38,083. Males had a median income of $27,200 versus $20,040 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,158. About 17.5% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.6% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.
