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Tennessee County
Claiborne County, Tennessee
Cumberland Gap and the Gateway to the West - from Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (the natural passage through the Appalachian Mountains that Daniel Boone blazed in 1775 and through which an estimated 300,000 settlers passed into Kentucky and the American interior - one of the most significant geographic features in American westward expansion history) to Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate (a university founded in 1897 to honor Abraham Lincoln's legacy in the Appalachian communities that remained loyal to the Union, housing one of the largest Lincoln collections outside the Library of Congress) and a northeastern Tennessee mountain county straddling the Virginia-Kentucky-Tennessee tri-state corner.
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Office: Claiborne County Office of Emergency Management Homeland Security – Director David Breeding | 213 Montgomery St, Tazewell, TN 37879 | (423) 626-9617; Claiborne County was one of the first Tennessee counties designated “Storm Ready” by the National Weather Service.
Roads: US-25E and SH-33 serve Tazewell, the county seat, in far northeast Tennessee at the Virginia and Kentucky borders
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Claiborne County was established by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1801. Tazewell, incorporated the same year, is named for Tazewell, Virginia (itself named for U.S. Senator Henry Tazewell). In 1750, Dr. Thomas Walker of Virginia publicized the location of the Cumberland Gap, drawing a stream of frontier “long hunters” through the region.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Claiborne County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via claibornecountytn.gov.
Notes: Claiborne County is genuinely home to two of the most significant heritage sites in this project. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, where Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky converge at a natural break in the Cumberland Mountains, was historically the “Gateway to the West” for frontier settlers – the park includes the real Hensley Settlement, established by in-laws Sherman Hensley and Willy Gibbons, containing twelve homestead log cabins, a one-room schoolhouse, and a blacksmith shop; the last resident, Sherman Hensley, left in 1951, and the Job Corps restored 45 settlement structures in the 1960s. Lincoln Memorial University, in Harrogate, was founded in 1897 as a living memorial to Abraham Lincoln – its 1,000-acre campus borders Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, and its Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum houses one of the most diverse Lincoln and Civil War artifact collections in the country. The historic 1819 Claiborne County Jail, a two-story limestone and brick structure used until 1931, is a National Register of Historic Places listing (2007) – the county’s current jail is located in New Tazewell and typically holds 160-180 inmates (InmateAid-relevant).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Claiborne County Veterans Service Office – Officer Gary Hansard (Sergeant, US Army, Honorably Discharged, Bronze Star/Combat Infantryman’s Badge/Paratrooper) | Claiborne County Courthouse, 1740 Main St, Tazewell, TN 37879 | (423) 626-9802 | Mailing: PO Box 584, Tazewell, TN 37879
State: Tennessee Department of Veterans Services – tn.gov/veteran
Resources: VFW Post 8779 in New Tazewell (co-located AMVETs Chapter); a DAV Chapter in Tazewell; and an American Legion Post across from Soldiers Memorial Middle School.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Barbara Reynolds Carr Memorial Library (Claiborne County Public Library) – 1304 Old Knoxville Road, Tazewell, TN 37879 | (423) 626-5414 | Fax: (423) 626-9481 | [email protected] | Hours: Monday-Wednesday 9 AM-5 PM, Thursday-Friday 9 AM-6 PM, Saturday 9 AM-2 PM.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and the Hensley Settlement (see above) are the county’s premier heritage destinations. Lincoln Memorial University’s Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum is a real, significant Civil War/Lincoln artifact collection. Norris Lake and the Powell River (genuinely described locally as one of the cleanest rivers in the United States) offer real recreational boating and fishing. Woodlake Golf, Lodge & Country Club and Tazewell Motor Speedway round out local recreation.
Notes: The genuine Cumberland Gap and Lincoln Memorial University heritage are among the most historically significant sites covered in this entire project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Claiborne County Assessor of Property – confirm current phone via claibornecountytn.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Claiborne Animal Shelter – New Tazewell, TN; a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by volunteers and donations; confirm current phone via Facebook page “Claiborne Animal Shelter – Claiborne County Tennessee.” All adopted animals are spayed/neutered before going home.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Claiborne County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via claibornecountytn.gov.
NOTES: Claiborne County is the sixth county in this batch (Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay) of the Tennessee v2 redo. The genuine Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Hensley Settlement, and Lincoln Memorial University heritage are among the most historically significant sites 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 Claiborne County
Claiborne County contains one of the most historically significant natural features in American history – Cumberland Gap, the mountain pass through which the trans-Appalachian frontier opened.
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park – at the tri-state corner of Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky – preserves the passage Daniel Boone blazed in 1775. Approximately 300,000 settlers passed through the gap between 1775 and 1810, making it the primary route of American westward migration before the Ohio River became accessible.
Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate (enrollment ~4,000) was founded specifically to honor the Appalachian communities that remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. Its Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum houses one of the most significant Lincoln collections in the country.
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Claiborne County Assessor of Property at 1740 Main Street, Suite 101, Tazewell, TN 37879, phone 423-626-3837. No TN income, inheritance, or estate tax.
Courts & Legal
Claiborne County Chancery Court at 1740 Main Street, Tazewell, TN 37879, phone 423-626-5247, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
1740 Main St, Tazewell, TN 37879
(423) 626-3283
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Claiborne County Clerk and Master, Tazewell (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Claiborne 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
Clerk and Master, Claiborne County PO Box 173, 1740 Main Street, Tazewell, TN 37879 (423) 626-3284 Claiborne County is in northeastern Tennessee, seated in Tazewell.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Tennessee has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Instead, Tennessee uses its own common form and solemn form probate framework, governed by Title 30 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. In Claiborne County, the Clerk and Master (part of Chancery Court) administers probate.
Small Estate Affidavit (T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 through 30-4-103) – available when the value of the probate estate does not exceed $50,000 (personal property; real property is generally excluded). The affidavit can be filed no sooner than 45 days after death. A bond payable to the state is commonly required to protect creditors and other heirs, though it is often waived when the person filing is the estate’s sole heir/beneficiary, or when all heirs consent in writing.
Common Form Probate – the standard, uncontested path: the will (if any) is admitted to probate without formal notice to all interested parties, and the personal representative is appointed and issued Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will).
Solemn Form Probate – used when formal proof of the will’s validity is needed, typically because of an anticipated will contest; requires notice to all interested parties and a hearing.
Muniment of Title – used to transfer real estate when there is a valid will but no other assets requiring administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files the original will (if one exists) and a Petition for Probate of Will or Petition for Letters of Administration with the Claiborne County Clerk and Master.
The court issues Letters Testamentary (testate) or Letters of Administration (intestate), giving the personal representative authority to act.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors in a local newspaper; creditors generally have a limited window (commonly around 4 months from the notice) to file claims.
The personal representative inventories and appraises the estate’s assets (may be waived by the will or by all beneficiaries).
The personal representative pays valid debts, expenses, and taxes.
The estate is closed with a final accounting (unless waived) and distribution to beneficiaries or heirs.
What it costs
Filing fees vary by county; confirm current fees with Claiborne County directly.
Tennessee has no statutory fee schedule for attorneys or executors – fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval if contested.
Tennessee does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Typical timeline for a simple, uncontested estate: roughly 6-9 months.
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
1740 Main St, Tazewell, TN 37879
(423) 626-3355
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION COMMISSION
1740 Main St, Tazewell, TN 37879
(423) 626-8637
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
610 Old Knox Rd, Tazewell, TN 37879
(423) 626-3327
DHS Office
2211 Sequoyah Rd, Tazewell, TN 37879
(423) 626-5236
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Claiborne County Health Department – confirm current contact via claibornecountytn.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Tazewell
Population: 33,000
Established: 1801
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Claiborne County residents.
