Harrisville Municipal Court

SR 16 does a crazy loop, in the form of a V, through Harrisville.

This town was originally chartered around 1822 by the State of Virginia and about the same time the layout of the town was filed in Wood county. Some 11 years alter when the town post office was established it was Solus to avoid confusion with a post office with the same name in Virginia. Around 1847 the post office name was changed to Ritchie Court House and 23 years later to Harrisville when the town was incorporated by the new state of West Virginia. Still later the post office name was changed back to Ritchie Court House then again to Harrisville. Makes you wonder if anybody ever got their mail. Try to visit the General Thomas M. Harris School museum while you are here. Originally a schoolhouse, built around 1878, various areas are broken up to display the different exhibits which highlight the history of Ritchie County. Representative of the industries and businesses which existed here are the displays of glassware made by WV Glass Specialty, quilts, antique sewing machines, old fashioned tools, oil and gas items from Deem Supply and supplies from Westfall dairy.