Harrison County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,921, making it West Virginia's 7th most populous county. Its county seat is Clarksburg. Harrison County is part of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Prehistory and early settlement Evidence of prehistoric Indigenous occupation survives in Harrison County at the Oak Mounds, two burial mounds near Clarksburg.

European-American settlement began in the 18th century. Trapper John Simpson settled along the West Fork River in 1764. During the conflicts on the western Virginia frontier in the early 1770s, settlers constructed forts along the region's rivers. Nutter's Fort was built on Elk Creek in 1772. In 1773, Daniel Davisson claimed land near the confluence of Elk Creek and the West Fork River where Clarksburg later developed. By 1780, settlers there had built their adjoining houses in a defensive arrangement.

Settlement also developed along Simpson Creek in what became Bridgeport. The area was settled between 1771 and 1774, where settlers constructed a fort and established Simpson Creek Baptist Church.

Formation and early development By the end of the American Revolutionary War, settlement along the West Fork River had increased sufficiently for the Virginia General Assembly to create Harrison County from part of Monongalia County in 1784. The county was named for Benjamin Harrison V, who served as governor of Virginia from 1781 to 1784.

The first meeting of the Harrison County court was held on July 20, 1784, at the home of George Jackson. Clarksburg became the county seat and was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1785.

Clarksburg developed as a center of government, law and education for northwestern Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly established Randolph Academy there in 1787, and a federal judicial district was established at Clarksburg in 1819.

Agriculture was an important part of the county's early economy. By the mid-19th century, Harrison County was known for cattle production. The opening of the Northwestern Turnpike in 1838 allowed cattle collected at Clarksburg to be driven east to Baltimore. The arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in the 1850s improved access to eastern markets, and by 1863 Harrison County led the new state of West Virginia in beef cattle production.

Civil War and statehood Transportation links made Harrison County strategically important during the American Civil War. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad made Clarksburg an important Union supply base. Clarksburg was also the site of an 1861 rally associated with the movement that led to the creation of West Virginia.

Political and military loyalties within the county were divided. In the Bridgeport area, residents supported both the Union and Confederacy. During the Jones–Imboden Raid, Confederate forces under General William E. Jones captured a company of Union soldiers near Bridgeport on April 30, 1863, and destroyed railroad infrastructure in the area.

West Virginia entered the Union as the 35th state on June 20, 1863, and Harrison County became part of the new state.

Industrialization and population growth The county's economy changed rapidly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A Virginia geological report had noted Harrison County's coal deposits as early as 1836, and by 1903 the county ranked fourth in West Virginia in coal production. Oil development also expanded around Salem and Shinnston around the turn of the 20th century.

Coal, petroleum and natural gas supported the growth of manufacturing. Natural gas supplied glass factories that produced window glass, containers, tableware and marbles. The county also had steel and zinc operations. The National Carbon Company opened a graphite plant at Anmoore in 1904. In Bridgeport, the Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company was organized in 1904 and by 1923 was producing 24,000 lamp chimneys per day. The property later became the home of the Master Glass Company, a marble manufacturer that operated there until 1973.

Industrial development brought substantial population growth. Coal companies recruited workers from Italy, while other workers moved into Harrison County from elsewhere in West Virginia. The county's population increased from 27,690 in 1900 to 74,783 in 1920. Agriculture remained important as well. In 1923, Lost Creek was the largest cattle shipping point on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad system.

20th century Harrison County's population reached a peak of 85,296 in 1950. That year, a Veterans Administration medical center opened near Clarksburg.

Health care also became a major regional institution. St. Mary's Hospital and Union Protestant Hospital in Clarksburg merged in 1970 to form United Hospital Center. Construction of a consolidated hospital began in 1974, and patients were transferred from the former St. Mary's facility to the new hospital complex in December 1976.

Transportation development again altered growth patterns during the second half of the century. The construction of Interstate 79 and the four-lane portion of U.S. Route 50 through the region strengthened the Clarksburg-Bridgeport area as a transportation and commercial center.

Federal investment became an important part of the county's economy during the 1990s. In January 1991, the Federal Bureau of Investigation purchased 986 acres near Clarksburg for a new complex for its Criminal Justice Information Services Division. Construction began in October 1991 and was completed in July 1995.

21st century Development in the Clarksburg-Bridgeport area continued along the Interstate 79 corridor in the 21st century. A new United Hospital Center opened in Bridgeport in 2010, and health care became one of the city's major economic sectors. Aerospace companies also established operations at North Central West Virginia Airport, including Pratt & Whitney and Aurora Flight Sciences.

The FBI's presence in the county also expanded. In 2015, a 360,000-square-foot Biometric Technology Center opened on the Criminal Justice Information Services campus.

Harrison County's population has declined from its mid-20th-century peak. The county had 65,921 residents in the 2020 census, compared with 85,296 in 1950.

Geography Harrison County is located in north-central West Virginia. The county is characterized by rolling hills drained by the West Fork River and its tributaries. The United States Census Bureau's 2020 Gazetteer lists of land and of water in the county.

The West Fork River passes through Harrison County and continues north toward Fairmont, where it joins the Tygart Valley River to form the Monongahela River. Its tributaries include Tenmile Creek, Elk Creek, and Simpson Creek.

Cities

Bridgeport Clarksburg (county seat) Salem Shinnston

Towns

Anmoore Lost Creek Lumberport Nutter Fort Stonewood West Milford

Census-designated places

Despard East View Enterprise Gypsy Hepzibah Reynoldsville Spelter Wallace Wolf Summit

Adjacent counties

Marion County – north Taylor County – east Barbour County – southeast Upshur County – south Lewis County – southwest Doddridge County – west Wetzel County – northwest

Demographics

2020 census At the 2020 census, Harrison County had a population of 65,921, compared with 69,099 in 2010. The population density was 158.5 people per square mile.

There were 27,358 households and 30,480 housing units. Of the housing units, 10.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.9% were owner-occupied and 27.1% were renter-occupied.

The racial makeup of the county was 91.5% White, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, 0.6% some other race, and 5.2% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 2.1% of the population.

Economy The Clarksburg–Bridgeport area is the principal commercial and employment center of Harrison County. The intersection of Interstate 79 and U.S. Route 50 helped reestablish the area as a regional economic and distribution center during the late 20th century. Health care, aerospace, and government are important parts of the economy in the area.

Health care facilities include United Hospital Center in Bridgeport and the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center in Clarksburg. United Hospital Center is part of the WVU Medicine system and operates a hospital with more than 300 beds. The Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center provides primary and specialty care from its campus in Clarksburg.

The federal government also has a substantial presence in the county through the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The main facility of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division is located in Clarksburg. The campus also contains the 360,000-square-foot Biometric Technology Center, which opened in 2015.

Aerospace maintenance and manufacturing are concentrated around North Central West Virginia Airport in Bridgeport. Companies with facilities in the area include MHI RJ Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, and Aurora Flight Sciences. MHI RJ Aviation operates a regional-aircraft maintenance center in Bridgeport. Pratt & Whitney operates an aircraft-engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility there, while Aurora Flight Sciences operates an advanced manufacturing facility that produces aerospace components and subassemblies.

Manufacturing also includes Amsted Graphite Materials in Anmoore, where carbon and graphite products have been manufactured since the early 20th century. Amsted operates its headquarters and manufacturing facility on Philippi Pike in Anmoore.

Commercial and office development along the Interstate 79 corridor in Bridgeport includes Charles Pointe and the White Oaks business park.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events The West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival is held in downtown Clarksburg over Labor Day weekend. Established in 1979, the festival includes Italian food, music, entertainment, contests, and cultural events.

The West Virginia Black Heritage Festival is held annually in Clarksburg and includes cultural programs, entertainment, community activities, and events related to African American heritage.

Jesus Fest is an annual Christian music and ministry festival held at Jackson Square in downtown Clarksburg. The event includes live music, worship services, baptisms, children's activities, and food vendors.

The Salem Apple Butter Festival has been held in Salem since 1984. The festival includes traditional apple butter making in copper kettles over wood fires, a parade, crafts, entertainment, and competitions.

Shinnston hosts the Shindy Music Festival at Ferguson Memorial Park. The festival features musicians from West Virginia and local vendors.

The Stonewood Firefighter's Festival is held annually in Stonewood. Established in 2023, the three-day festival includes live entertainment, the 5 Alarm 5K, the Harry Lynch Chili Cook-off, pageants, and activities related to local first responders.

The Old Mill & Float the Fork Festival is held at Island Park in West Milford. The Old Mill Festival and Float the Fork both began in 2018 and were combined into a single event in 2023. The festival includes a float on the West Fork River, live music, food, vendors, and activities related to the history of West Milford and the river.

The annual Family Fun Extravaganza is held at Clarksburg City Park in Nutter Fort. The multi-day festival includes carnival rides, live entertainment, vendors, children's activities, and a parade.

Historic sites and landmarks

Historic sites and districts in Harrison County include properties associated with the county's settlement, transportation, industry, education, and architecture. Many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company Bowstring Concrete Arch Bridge – historic concrete arch bridge in Bridgeport.