Harrisonville Historic Overview

Harrisonville, Missouri was first established as early as the 1830's as pioneers from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia moved west, drawn by the rich farmland and numerous streams and rivers. Harrisonville would be the county seat of Van Buren County, later renamed in 1849 to Cass County. In 1835 the Missouri General Assembly enacted legislation to appoint three state commissioners to establish a seat of justice within five miles of the center of this county and a year later, 160 acres of land were selected for the site of the county seat. The town of Harrisonville was established in 1837 and was named in honor of Albert J. Harrison, one of the first two U.S. Congressional representatives elected from the state of Missouri.

The National Park Service officially certified Harrisonville on August 24, 1993. On April 8, 1994, the Square was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Harrisonville Courthouse Square Historic District consists of four full blocks of commercial buildings facing the Courthouse Square and portions of five additional City blocks just off of the Square. Altogether, the district contains 37 buildings, 34 of which contribute to the historic architectural qualities and historic associations of the district. In December of 1994, the City adopted its "Guidebook for Landmarks and Preservation Districts." Furthermore, Architectural and Art Historical Research from Kansas City conducted an architectural survey in 1995 for the City of Harrisonville.

As they say, the rest is history!