Ritchie County, West Virginia
Founding: 1843 Parent counties: Harrison, Lewis, and Wood Namesake: Thomas Ritchie, Virginia journalist Seat: Harrisville (1843–) Land area: 452 square miles Population (2020): 8,444 Population (historic): 3,902 (1850); 9,055 (1870); 16,621 (1890); 17,875 (1910); 15,594 (1930) Periods of population growth: pre-1850–1900; 1970s; 1990–2010 Subdivisions: One city; five towns Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 1,509 (25.9%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 42.3% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940): 5.6% Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 27.6% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 14.7% Average farmhouse value (1930): $900 Average outbuilding value (1930): $447 Average farmhouse size (1940): 5.8 rooms Number of farms (1920): 1,844 Average farm size (1920): 82.1 acres _________________________________________________________________________________ Harri...