McDowell County Courthouse
About this property
The McDowell County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Welch, West Virginia. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 1979. The courthouse was built in two phases. The first part was built in 1893 in the Romanesque Revival style. It was the earliest independent work of architect Frank P. Milburn, then practicing in Kenova. Milburn would go on to be prolific designer of courthouses in the southern states. He reported that the original brick design had been built in stone, and that the jail had been turned around, but stated that "the contractors had done a good job of which they could justly be proud." Due to space constraints, the county decided to build an addition in 1908. W. E. & E. L. Shufflebarger of Bluefield were the architects chosen, and the complementary addition was completed in 1909. It was built to the north of the original structure. In the courthouse yard, John Hardy, a black railroad worker, was hanged for murdering a man in Eckman, WV, then known as the Shawnee Coal Camp, over a gambling dispute. This January 19, 1894, execution was the subject of a song: "John Hardy," which remains a staple of folk, blues, and bluegrass music. John Hardy is thought to be the original John Henry. On August 1, 1921, detectives from the Baldwin-Felts agency assassinated Matewan Police Chief Sid Hatfield on the courthouse steps. At that time, Hatfield was a major labor leader within the coalfields of West Virginia. His association with the United Mine Workers and Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones were nationally known. This act set the confrontational tone for labor relations within West Virginia.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about McDowell County Courthouse
This page lists McDowell County Courthouse. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was McDowell County Courthouse listed on the National Register?
McDowell County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1979.
What type of historic resource is McDowell County Courthouse?
McDowell County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for McDowell County Courthouse?
The period of significance for McDowell County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near McDowell County Courthouse?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near McDowell County Courthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in McDowell County
Historic places, battles, and census history across McDowell County.
Explore McDowellCounty ›More historic places in West Virginia
Browse all historic places in West Virginia.
View West Virginiahistoric sites ›West Virginia history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
West Virginiahistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near McDowell County Courthouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.