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Kentucky County
Mason County, Kentucky
Maysville - where Harriet Beecher Stowe crossed the Ohio and Eliza ran - from Maysville's Uncle Tom's Cabin connection (Harriet Beecher Stowe witnessed the crossing of enslaved people across the frozen Ohio River at Maysville - the scene that inspired Eliza's desperate ice-floe crossing in Uncle Tom's Cabin - the Harriet Beecher Stowe Slavery to Freedom Museum documents this pivotal moment in American literary and abolitionist history) to Simon Kenton's Mason County legacy (the legendary Kentucky frontiersman who scouted the Ohio River country and founded Maysville is one of Kentucky's most celebrated pioneers).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Office: Maysville/Mason County Emergency Management – 668 Kenton Station Road, Maysville, KY 41056 | (606) 759-9017 (also listed 216 Bridge St / (606) 564-2570) | Email: [email protected].
Sheriff: Mason County Sheriff’s Office – 120 W. Third Street, Maysville, KY 41056 | (606) 564-3309 | Fax (606) 564-8676 | Email: [email protected]. Hours: Mon-Fri (confirm current hours directly).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. After-hours dispatch: (606) 564-9411.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-62 and US-68 serve Maysville, the county seat, on the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky, connected to Aberdeen, Ohio via the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge (built 1931).
Notes: Mason County, created from Bourbon County, Virginia in 1788, is named for George Mason, a Virginia delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention known as the “Father of the Bill of Rights.” Maysville was originally known as “Limestone,” a name that persisted well into the 19th century.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Mason County Justice Building – Maysville, KY.
Notes: Mason County is genuinely the birthplace of singer and actress Rosemary Clooney, born May 23, 1928 on Front Street in Maysville. Clooney topped the charts with “Come On-A My House” (1951) and starred alongside Bing Crosby in the beloved 1954 film “White Christmas”; her first film premiered at Maysville’s historic Russell Theater in 1953. Though her preserved-home museum sits in nearby Augusta, Kentucky, Maysville remains her hometown, the site of her birth, marriage, and final resting place at St. Patrick’s Cemetery – and where she launched the Rosemary Clooney Music Festival in 1999. She is the aunt of actor George Clooney and mother of actor Miguel Ferrer. The Kentucky Gateway Museum Center in Maysville displays Clooney-related memorabilia among its broader collections.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Mason County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via masoncountykentucky.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Mason County Public Library (Maysville) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Kentucky Gateway Museum Center, the Maysville-Mason County Recreational Trail (a paved rail-trail), and downtown Maysville’s historic riverfront are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine Rosemary Clooney hometown connection is one of the most widely recognized American entertainment-history facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Mason County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via masoncountykentucky.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Mason County Animal Shelter – 301 River Drive, Maysville, KY 41056 | (606) 564-6067 | Email: [email protected]. A small municipal, dog-only shelter serving Mason County residents exclusively; adoption fees $40 (adult dogs)/$60 (puppies under 6 months), including vaccinations, spay/neuter, and microchipping. Hours: Tue-Fri 11 AM-4:30 PM, Sat 11 AM-3:30 PM, closed Sun-Mon.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Mason County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via masoncountykentucky.us.
NOTES: Mason County is the seventh and final county in Kentucky’s eleventh batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine Rosemary Clooney hometown connection is one of the most widely recognized American entertainment-history 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 Mason County
Mason County is where Harriet Beecher Stowe saw the scene that became Uncle Tom’s Cabin – the enslaved people crossing the frozen Ohio River at Maysville inspired Eliza’s famous escape and helped ignite the abolitionist movement that preceded the Civil War.
Maysville (the county seat, population ~9,000) preserves this history at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Museum while serving as the Ohio River hub for northeast Kentucky’s agricultural and bourbon heritage communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Mason County Property Valuation Administrator at 220 1/2 Sutton Street, Maysville, KY 41056, phone 606-564-3700. KY residential assessed at 100% of fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Mason County Circuit Court at 120 W. 3rd Street, Maysville, KY 41056, phone 606-564-4200, 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)
112 W. 2nd St., Maysville, KY 41056
(606) 564-3341
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
112 W. 2nd St., Maysville, KY 41056
(606) 564-4478
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
112 W. 2nd St., Maysville, KY 41056
(606) 564-3341
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Mason County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Mason 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
Mason County District Court Mason County Justice Center, 100 West 3rd Street, Maysville, KY 41056 (606) 564-4340 Mason County is on the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky, seated in Maysville.
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
112 W. 2nd St., Maysville, KY 41056
(606) 564-3647
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
112 W. 2nd St., Maysville, KY 41056
(606) 564-3647
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
112 W. 2nd St., Maysville, KY 41056
(606) 564-3341
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
112 W. 2nd St., Maysville, KY 41056
(606) 564-3341
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Mason County Health Dept
(606) 564-4046
KY CHFS — Gateway Region
(606) 784-4165
KY Medicaid
(855) 306-8959
Meadowview Regional Medical Center
meadowviewregional.com (Maysville — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Mason County Health Department – confirm current contact via chfs.ky.gov local health department directory.
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