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Kentucky County
Harrison County, Kentucky
Cynthiana's Civil War battles and Bluegrass horse farms - from the two Battles of Cynthiana (Cynthiana was the site of two separate Civil War engagements - the first in July 1862 when Confederate General John Hunt Morgan raided the town, and the second in June 1864 when Morgan raided again but was defeated by Union forces - the two battles in the same town make Cynthiana one of the more unusual Civil War communities in Kentucky) to Harrison County's productive Bluegrass horse farm landscape along the South Fork of the Licking River.
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Sheriff: Harrison County Sheriff’s Office – 113 West Pike Street, Cynthiana, KY 41031 | (859) 234-7135 | Fax (859) 234-5008 | Email: [email protected]. 24-hour patrol coverage for the county and Cynthiana city limits when needed.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Dispatch: (859) 234-7100.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-27 and US-62 serve Cynthiana, the county seat, in north-central Kentucky between Lexington and Cincinnati.
Notes: Harrison County, formed December 21, 1793 from parts of Bourbon and Scott counties, is named for Colonel Benjamin Harrison, a framer of the Kentucky Constitution.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Harrison County Courthouse – Cynthiana, KY.
Notes: Cynthiana genuinely lends its name to the Cynthiana grape, another name for the Norton grape – widely considered America’s oldest native grape variety still in commercial cultivation and often called Kentucky’s flagship red wine grape. Norton/Cynthiana produces deeply colored, full-bodied red wines and has become the centerpiece of a real Kentucky wine revival in recent decades, with multiple regional wineries producing Norton or Cynthiana-labeled bottlings from some of the state’s oldest plantings.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Harrison County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via harrisoncountyfiscalcourt.com.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Harrison County Public Library (Cynthiana) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Local wineries producing Norton/Cynthiana wines and downtown Cynthiana’s historic district are the county’s notable local features.
Notes: The genuine grape-town namesake connection is one of the more distinctive agricultural-heritage facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Harrison County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via harrisoncountyfiscalcourt.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Harrison County (Flora Shropshire) Animal Shelter – 1751 New Lair Road, Cynthiana, KY 41031 | (859) 234-7138 (Humane Society spay/neuter program) or (859) 556-0071 / (859) 298-4954 (Animal Control) | Email: [email protected]. Hours: Mon 10 AM-4 PM, closed Tue, Wed-Fri 10 AM-4 PM, Sat-Sun 10 AM-2 PM. Supported by the Humane Society of Harrison County (founded 1994), a separate nonprofit offering spay/neuter assistance.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Harrison County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via harrisoncountyfiscalcourt.com.
NOTES: Harrison County is the sixth county in Kentucky’s seventh batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine Cynthiana/Norton grape namesake connection is one of the more distinctive agricultural-heritage facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Harrison County
Harrison County is north-central Kentucky’s twice-raided Civil War county – Confederate General John Hunt Morgan raided Cynthiana twice in the same war, making it one of Kentucky’s most battle-visited communities, surrounded by classic Bluegrass horse farm scenery.
Cynthiana (the county seat, population ~6,500) is where Morgan’s raiders struck in July 1862 and June 1864. The second raid ended in Confederate defeat when Union reinforcements arrived – Morgan escaped but his command was largely destroyed. The Harrison County Civil War sites are documented in local museums.
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Harrison County PVA at 111 S. Main Street, Suite G-5, Cynthiana, KY 41031, phone 859-234-7133. KY property assessed at fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Harrison County Circuit Court at 111 S. Main Street, Cynthiana, KY 41031, phone 859-234-7135, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
111 S. Main St., Cynthiana, KY 41031
(859) 234-7130
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
111 S. Main St., Cynthiana, KY 41031
(859) 234-1907
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
111 S. Main St., Cynthiana, KY 41031
(859) 234-7130
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Harrison County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The 1851 Harrison County Courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a significant local landmark within the Cynthiana Commercial District.
Local societies
No dedicated Harrison County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Harrison County District Court 115 Court Street, Cynthiana, KY 41031 (859) 234-1914
Harrison County is in north-central Kentucky, seated in Cynthiana, home to the 1851 Harrison County Courthouse (Greek Revival, National Register of Historic Places).
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Kentucky has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code; probate is governed by KRS Chapter 395 (Administration of Estates), handled by the District Court in the county where the decedent resided (KRS 24A.120).
Dispensing with Administration – Kentucky’s simplified small-estate procedure, governed by KRS 395.450, 395.455, and 395.470. Available when the value of the personal estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $30,000, and the petitioner is a surviving spouse, adult child, or other qualifying heir/preferred creditor. The petitioner files a Petition to Dispense with Administration (Form AOC-830) with an affidavit listing assets, debts, and proposed distribution – no personal representative or full administration is required. Real estate is generally not covered by this procedure.
Regular (Full) Administration – for larger or more complex estates, the District Court appoints a personal representative (executor if named in a will, administrator if intestate), who gathers assets, pays debts, and distributes what remains under court oversight.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor/Administrator (Form AOC-805) with the District Court in the county of residence.
If there’s a will, the court admits it to probate; it is then recorded with the county clerk (KRS 394.140).
The personal representative files an Inventory and Appraisement (Form AOC-841) of estate assets.
Notice to creditors is published; creditors generally have 6 months from appointment to file claims.
The personal representative pays valid debts, taxes, and expenses.
A Settlement of Estate (Form AOC-846) is filed, and the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Filing fees and publication costs are collected by the clerk and vary somewhat by county.
Kentucky does not require an attorney for probate, though it is commonly recommended, especially for formal administration.
Typical timelines: full probate generally takes 6-12 months; the creditor claims period is 6 months. Dispensing with Administration can move significantly faster once the estate qualifies.
Before distribution, a surviving spouse may petition for release of up to $2,500 from the estate as an exempt charge against estate property.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
111 S. Main St., Cynthiana, KY 41031
(859) 234-7336
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
111 S. Main St., Cynthiana, KY 41031
(859) 234-7336
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
111 S. Main St., Cynthiana, KY 41031
(859) 234-7130
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
111 S. Main St., Cynthiana, KY 41031
(859) 234-7130
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Harrison County Health Dept
(859) 234-4961
KY CHFS — Bluegrass Region
(859) 246-2090
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Harrison Memorial Hospital
harrisonmemorial.com (Cynthiana — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Harrison County Health Department – confirm current contact via chfs.ky.gov local health department directory.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Cynthiana
Population: 18,500
Area: 308 sq mi
Established: 1793
Tier: 3
Public Records
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