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North Carolina County
Transylvania County, North Carolina
The Land of Waterfalls and Brevard's white squirrels - from Transylvania County's designation as the Land of Waterfalls (over 250 named waterfalls within the county - Whitewater Falls at 411 feet is the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains, and the concentration of accessible cascades in the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests makes Transylvania County the most waterfall-dense county in the eastern United States) to Brevard's famous white squirrel population (a colony of white phase Eastern gray squirrels has thrived in Brevard since the 1940s, and the city's White Squirrel Festival and careful stewardship of the colony have made them a beloved civic symbol) and the Brevard Music Center's summer classical programs.
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Office: Transylvania County Emergency Services (Communications, EMS, Fire Marshal, Emergency Management) – 155 Public Safety Way, Brevard, NC 28712
Services: Plans, prepares, responds to, and mitigates disasters/emergencies; participates in the multi-county South Mountains Hazard Mitigation Plan with Henderson, Polk, and Rutherford counties
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-64 and US-276 serve Brevard, the county seat, in far western North Carolina, surrounded by Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Recreational Forest, and Gorges State Park
Transit: Limited; primarily auto-dependent – confirm current regional options directly with the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Transylvania County Building Permitting and Enforcement – 98 East Morgan Street, Brevard, NC 28712 | (828) 884-3209 | Office Hours: 7:30–8:30 AM, 3–4 PM; Field Hours: 8:30 AM–3 PM
Services: Building permits and inspections countywide, including within the corporate limits of Brevard and Rosman (the City of Brevard does not separately handle NC Building Code permits – the county fills this role for the entire county); inspection requests must be made by 4 PM the business day prior, permit number required
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Transylvania County Veterans Services Office – Brevard, NC
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Transylvania County Library – Brevard, NC
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Transylvania County is genuinely and officially nicknamed the “LAND OF WATERFALLS,” home to more than 250 documented waterfalls scattered across the county’s protected forests – an extraordinary concentration for a single county anywhere in the eastern United States; the county sits at the doorstep of Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Recreational Forest, and Gorges State Park, and among its most photographed and visited falls is the 60-foot Looking Glass Falls in Pisgah National Forest, which sits directly alongside Highway 276 and is widely considered one of the most photographed waterfalls in North Carolina; other beloved falls in the area include Sliding Rock (a natural rock waterslide), Moore Cove Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Triple Falls – the latter two among several DuPont State Recreational Forest locations that served as filming sites for scenes in both “The Hunger Games” and “The Last of the Mohicans”; beyond its waterfalls, Transylvania County – and specifically the town of Brevard – is genuinely and famously home to a rare population of WHITE SQUIRRELS, a distinctive white-coated variant of the common Eastern gray squirrel (not albino, as the animals retain dark eyes and often small dark patches on the head and shoulders); according to well-documented local history, the population traces back to 1949, when a pair of the unusual white squirrels escaped from a traveling carnival near Madison, Florida; an orchard owner in Florida had local trapper H.H. Mull capture the pair, who then gave them to his young niece, Barbara Mull, back home in Brevard, where her family kept them in a backyard enclosure – the squirrels’ descendants have thrived in the area ever since, and in 1986 the town of Brevard formally declared itself a squirrel sanctuary; today, the white squirrels are considered Brevard’s unofficial mascot, celebrated each year at the community’s White Squirrel Festival, which draws visitors for costume contests, live music, an annual squirrel count and photo exhibit, and family-friendly festivities throughout the historic downtown
Notes: Transylvania County’s genuine, extensively documented dual identity – as the “Land of Waterfalls” with over 250 falls, and home to Brevard’s beloved white squirrel population traced to a real 1949 carnival escape – is one of the most charming natural and cultural heritage combinations found anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Transylvania County GIS – accessible via transylvaniacounty.org
Parcel Search: Transylvania County Tax Office
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Transylvania County Emergency Services (155 Public Safety Way, (828) 884-3108 ext. 1)
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Transylvania County Animal Services – 1124 Old Rosman Hwy / 379 Ross Road, Brevard, NC 28712 | (828) 883-3713 | Hours: Wed–Fri 1–6 PM, Sat 10 AM–12 PM & 1–3 PM
Services: Adoption fees $40 dogs / $30 cats, including a discount certificate for the local low-cost spay/neuter clinic; all adopted animals must be spayed/neutered and vaccinated for rabies; strays held 72 hours per NC state law
Notes: After-hours animal control calls: (828) 884-3191; animal welfare/cruelty concerns: (828) 883-3713. The Brevard Police Department partners with county Animal Services for in-city coverage – Brevard non-emergency: (828) 883-2212.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) – deq.nc.gov
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Transylvania County is genuinely known as the “Land of Waterfalls” (250+ documented falls) and is home to Brevard’s beloved white squirrel population, traced to a real 1949 carnival escape. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Transylvania County
Transylvania County is western North Carolina’s waterfall capital – with over 250 named waterfalls including the East’s highest cascade, and a city famous for its white squirrels, it is one of the most distinctive mountain counties in the southern Appalachians.
Whitewater Falls (411 feet) on the South Carolina border is the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. The surrounding Nantahala and Pisgah national forests contain dozens of additional accessible waterfalls, making Transylvania County a destination for waterfall enthusiasts.
Brevard (the county seat, population ~7,500) is where a colony of white squirrels has lived since the 1940s. The Brevard Music Center’s summer classical music institute draws professional-level young musicians and outstanding performances to the mountains.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Transylvania County Tax Office at 12 E. Main Street, Brevard, NC 28712, phone 828-884-3205. NC property assessed at 100% of market value.
Courts & Legal
Transylvania County Clerk of Superior Court at 12 E. Main Street, Brevard, NC 28712, phone 828-885-3000, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT
7 East Main St, Brevard, NC 28712
(828) 883-8200
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Transylvania County Clerk of Superior Court, Brevard (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The 1872-73 Transylvania County Courthouse, NRHP-listed, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Transylvania 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
Transylvania County Clerk of Superior Court – Estates Division 7 East Main Street, Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 884-3120
Transylvania County was founded in 1861, nicknamed the “Land of Waterfalls,” in the mountains of western North Carolina, seated in Brevard. The 1872-73 Transylvania County Courthouse, Italianate in style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
North Carolina has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Probate is handled by the Clerk of Superior Court – an elected official who serves as the ex officio judge of probate – in the county where the decedent was domiciled, under Chapter 28A of the North Carolina General Statutes. Unlike most states, North Carolina does not have a separate probate court; the Clerk’s Estates Division handles all wills, estates, and guardianship matters.
Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent (“collection by affidavit,” N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-25-1 and § 28A-25-1.1) – available when the decedent’s personal property, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $20,000, or $30,000 if the surviving spouse is the sole heir and receives all property covered by the statute. Filed at least 30 days after death, using Form AOC-E-203B. Real property CANNOT be transferred through this process. If the decedent left a will, the will must first be admitted to probate and a certified copy attached to the affidavit.
Summary Administration – an abbreviated procedure available only when the surviving spouse is the sole heir.
Full Estate Administration – required for larger or more complex estates; the personal representative (called “executor” if named in a will, “administrator” if intestate) is appointed by the Clerk and receives Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
File the will (if any) and a petition with the Clerk of Superior Court, Estates Division, in the county where the decedent was domiciled.
The Clerk appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors; North Carolina’s creditor claim period is typically at least three months from first publication.
The personal representative inventories the estate’s assets, pays debts and expenses, and distributes the remaining assets according to the will or North Carolina’s intestacy law, reporting back to the Clerk at key stages.
The estate is closed once a final accounting is filed and approved by the Clerk.
What it costs
Filing fees for full estate administration generally follow the statewide statutory schedule, which scales with the estate’s value.
North Carolina repealed its state estate tax in 2013. There is no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax – only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates.
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
15 Camp Easton Rd, Brevard, NC 28712
(828) 884-3168
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
106 East Morgan St, Brevard, NC 28712
(828) 884-3120
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
106 East Morgan St, Brevard, NC 28712
(828) 884-3135
Social Services
98 East Morgan St, Brevard, NC 28712
(828) 884-3174
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Transylvania County Public Health – Brevard, NC
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Brevard
Population: 34,000
Established: 1861
Tier: 3
Public Records
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