McDowell County courthouse and offices close June 19 for holiday

Residents trying to handle county business in Welch will find the McDowell County Courthouse and county offices closed Friday, June 19, 2026, as West Virginia Day and Juneteenth fall on the same date. The closure will stop routine in-person access to county government at 109 Wyoming Street and affect services tied to the County Clerk, Assessor, Sheriff, Circuit Clerk and Prosecutor offices.

That means anyone with a filing, record request, license issue or scheduled administrative appointment should plan ahead. Court-related errands, property questions, tax business and other time-sensitive county matters will need to be completed before the holiday or pushed to the next business day. Normal operations are expected to resume Monday, June 22.

The date carries added weight on the state calendar. West Virginia Day is listed as observed on Friday, June 19, 2026, and Juneteenth is being marked the same day. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and commemorates June 19, 1865, when news of emancipation reached Galveston, Texas.

West Virginia state offices are generally open on Juneteenth, but local governments across southern West Virginia have chosen to close anyway. McDowell County is part of that local pattern, joining nearby communities that are adjusting holiday schedules rather than treating the day as a normal workday.

For McDowell County residents, the practical impact is simple: Friday will not be the day to walk into the courthouse and expect regular county business to be available. Anyone needing the county’s main offices in Welch should get there before the close of business Thursday or wait until the county reopens on Monday.