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Kentucky County
Monroe County, Kentucky
Old Mulkey Meeting House - Kentucky's oldest log meetinghouse - from Old Mulkey Meeting House State Historic Site (the 1804 log church near Tompkinsville - the oldest surviving log meetinghouse in Kentucky - where Daniel Boone's sister Hannah Boone is buried and where the frontier Baptist congregation that founded it represents one of the earliest religious communities in south-central Kentucky - the twelve corners of the building symbolize the twelve apostles, and the three doors represent the Trinity, making it a remarkable example of frontier religious architecture) and Monroe County's agricultural heritage on the Tennessee border.
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Office: Monroe County Emergency Management – 200 North Main Street, Suite C, Tompkinsville, KY 42167 | (270) 487-5505. E-911/dispatch operated via Monroe County Medical Center EMS, 529 Capp Harlan Road, (270) 487-9231, staffed 24/7.
Sheriff: Monroe County Sheriff’s Office – 200 N. Main Street, Suite E, Tompkinsville, KY 42167 | (270) 487-6622 | Fax (270) 487-6516; Sheriff Roger Dale Ford.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: KY-63 and KY-100 serve Tompkinsville, the county seat, in the Eastern Pennyroyal Plateau near the Tennessee border.
Notes: Monroe County was formed in 1820 and named for President James Monroe; Tompkinsville is named for Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins, who served under Monroe.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Monroe County Courthouse – Tompkinsville, KY.
Notes: Monroe County is home to the Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site, featuring the oldest freestanding log meetinghouse in Kentucky, built in 1804 by pioneer Baptists led by Philip and John Mulkey. The structure’s unusual twelve-sided, cross-shaped design (believed to symbolize the twelve apostles or the twelve tribes of Israel) and its three doors (symbolizing the Holy Trinity) make it architecturally unique among surviving American frontier churches. The adjoining cemetery holds the grave of Hannah Boone Pennington, Daniel Boone’s youngest sister, along with numerous Revolutionary War veterans. The site draws roughly 40,000 visitors annually and has been part of the Kentucky state park system since 1931.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Monroe County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via monroecounty.ky.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Monroe County Public Library (Tompkinsville) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site is the county’s premier historical attraction.
Notes: The genuine “oldest log meetinghouse in Kentucky” and Daniel Boone family connection are distinctive pieces of Kentucky pioneer history covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Monroe County Property Valuation Administrator – confirm current contact via monroecounty.ky.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
⚠️ Monroe County does not appear to operate a standalone physical shelter facility – animal welfare is coordinated through Monroe County Animal Welfare/Red’s Rescue, which works with the county Fiscal Court and dog warden via a network of foster homes (no walk-in facility) | Tompkinsville, KY 42167 | (270) 427-0999 | Email: [email protected]. A separately registered Monroe County Humane Society (est. 2021) also operates locally, working toward an established facility; PO Box 704, Tompkinsville, KY 42167.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Monroe County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via monroecounty.ky.gov.
NOTES: Monroe County is the fifth county in Kentucky’s twelfth batch under the Round 3 A+ sourced standard. The genuine “oldest log meetinghouse in Kentucky” and Daniel Boone family connection are distinctive pieces of Kentucky pioneer history covered in this project. ⚠️ Animal services here rely on foster-network rescues rather than a walk-in county shelter – flagged accordingly. 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 Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Kentucky’s oldest log meetinghouse – the 1804 Old Mulkey Meeting House where Daniel Boone’s sister is buried and whose twelve-cornered design symbolizes the apostles is one of the most distinctive pieces of frontier religious architecture in the American South.
Tompkinsville (the county seat, population ~2,600) serves Monroe County’s agricultural communities on the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Monroe County PVA at 200 N. Main Street, Suite 6, Tompkinsville, KY 42167, phone 270-487-6455. KY residential assessed at 100% of fair cash value.
Courts & Legal
Monroe County Circuit Court at 200 N. Main Street, Tompkinsville, KY 42167, phone 270-487-5171, 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)
200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville, KY 42167
(270) 487-5471
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK (Court Records)
200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville, KY 42167
(270) 487-5981
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville, KY 42167
(270) 487-5471
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Monroe County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Monroe 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
Monroe County District Court 300 North Main Street, Tompkinsville, KY 42167 (270) 487-5480
Monroe County was founded 1820, named for President James Monroe, on the Tennessee border in the Eastern Pennyroyal Plateau region. Its seat, Tompkinsville, is also its largest city. Monroe County was historically a prohibition (dry) county.
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
200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville, KY 42167
(270) 487-6109
SHERIFF / TAX COLLECTOR
200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville, KY 42167
(270) 487-6109
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Records, Elections, Marriage Licenses)
200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville, KY 42167
(270) 487-5471
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville, KY 42167
(270) 487-5471
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Monroe 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: Tompkinsville
Population: 11,000
Area: 330 sq mi
Established: 1820
Tier: 3
Public Records
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