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Virginia County
Giles County, Virginia
New River Gorge and Mountain Lake - from the New River Gorge in Giles County (the ancient New River cuts through the Appalachian ridges in a spectacular gorge that provides some of the finest whitewater kayaking and scenic overlook hiking in Virginia, with the Cascades National Recreation Trail and numerous overlooks accessible from the county's public lands) to Mountain Lake (the only natural lake in the southern Appalachians, Mountain Lake in Giles County gained international fame as the filming location for the movie "Dirty Dancing" in 1987, and the historic Mountain Lake Lodge resort has drawn visitors to the high plateau's unique glacial lake since the 1800s).
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Office: Giles County Emergency Services – 1 Taylor Avenue, Suite 2, Pearisburg, VA 24134 | (540) 921-2525 | Fax: (540) 921-1329
Available: 24/7 during a disaster event
Notes: Giles Lifesaving and Rescue Squad Inc. provides EMS response – Non-Emergency: (540) 921-4357, Emergency: 911. Carilion Giles Community Hospital Emergency Department, 159 Hartley Way, Pearisburg, (540) 921-6000, provides local emergency medical care. Poison exposure: (800) 222-1222.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-460 is the primary corridor; the Appalachian Trail crosses over 65 miles through Giles County
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Giles County Building, Planning and Zoning – 1 Taylor Avenue, Suite 2, Pearisburg, VA 24134 | (540) 921-2527 | Fax: (540) 921-1329 | Building Official Anna Welch, [email protected]
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
Services: Building inspections and permits; enforces state and local codes; Planning Commission meets 5 PM on the 4th Tuesday of the month at the County Administration Board Room
Notes: No permit for new construction or other building operations will be issued until required fees are paid at the time of application filing. Confirm whether your property is in an incorporated town (Pearisburg, Narrows, Glen Lyn, Pembroke, Rich Creek) – some towns maintain their own separate building department (e.g., Pearisburg Building Department, (540) 921-0340) distinct from the county.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: Virginia Department of Veterans Services – dvs.virginia.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest Veterans Service Representative)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with dvs.virginia.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Giles County Public Library – serves the county
Notes: Confirm current address and hours directly via virginiasmtnplayground.com, as detailed branch information was limited in available sources
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Giles County officially brands itself “Virginia’s Mountain Playground.” Mountain Lake, one of only two natural lakes in Virginia, served as the filming location for the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing’s iconic lift scene (the Mountain Lake Lodge doubled as “Kellerman’s Mountain House”) – visitors can take a self-guided Dirty Dancing walking tour of the grounds without booking a room, and the lodge hosts an annual “Dirty Dancing Days” summer festival; note that Mountain Lake periodically drains and refills naturally, and has been dry since it was last full in 2005, so don’t expect to see open water on a visit. Cascades National Recreation Trail leads to a 66-foot waterfall via a roughly 4-mile round-trip hike, with both an easier lower trail and more difficult upper trail option; Woods Hole Hostel, along the Appalachian Trail in Giles County, is the oldest continuously operating hostel on the entire AT.
Notes: Confirm current trail conditions, parking fees, and Mountain Lake Lodge event schedules directly, as these details change seasonally
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Giles County GIS – accessible via virginiasmtnplayground.com
Parcel Search: Giles County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Giles County Emergency Services
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Giles County Animal Shelter – 678 Green Hollow Rd, Pearisburg, VA 24134 | (540) 921-2053 | [email protected] | Shelter Manager Skylar Sojka
Hours: Monday–Saturday, 12–4 PM, by appointment only (call ahead to confirm someone will be there); closed Sunday and holidays
To report a stray, neglect, or abuse: Giles County Sheriff’s Office, (540) 921-3842
Services: County dog tags are now issued for the lifetime of the dog (not annually) and can only be purchased at the County Treasurer’s Office, 130 North Main Street, Pearisburg, (540) 921-1240, with a current rabies certificate required; stray dogs/cats are held 5 days before being made available for adoption
Notes: This is a genuinely small operation – just one paid employee – that relies heavily on volunteers (18+, or 16 with parental consent) and donations to operate. If you want to help but aren’t ready to adopt, the shelter accepts donations via an Amazon Wish List.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Giles County recently opened a drop-off center for recyclables, according to county news; contact county administration directly for current hours and accepted materials
NOTES
Giles County brands itself “Virginia’s Mountain Playground,” and the claim holds up – Mountain Lake, one of only two natural lakes in Virginia, hosted the filming of Dirty Dancing’s famous lift scene, and the county’s stretch of the Appalachian Trail includes Woods Hole Hostel, the oldest continuously operating hostel anywhere on the trail. Its animal shelter is a genuinely small, single-employee operation that depends heavily on community volunteers and donations, worth knowing if you’re hoping to help beyond adoption. All contact information above was sourced from official county pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Giles County
Giles County is southwest Virginia’s New River Gorge and Mountain Lake county – the ancient New River’s spectacular gorge, the filming location of Dirty Dancing, and the Appalachian Trail crossing define a county of remarkable natural assets whose outdoor recreation economy anchors the community between Blacksburg and the West Virginia border.
Pearisburg (the county seat, population ~2,700) is Giles County’s governmental hub in the New River valley, serving the county’s mountain communities between Pulaski and the West Virginia border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Giles County Assessor at 501 Wenonah Avenue, Pearisburg, VA 24134, phone 540-921-3321. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Giles County Circuit Court at 501 Wenonah Avenue, Pearisburg, VA 24134, phone 540-921-2525, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
501 East Wenonah Ave, Pearisburg, VA 24134
(540) 921-3321
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Giles Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Pearisburg (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Giles County Courthouse (built 1836) and the surrounding Pearisburg Historic District are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated Giles 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
Giles Circuit Court 501 Wenonah Avenue, Suite 1, Pearisburg, VA 24134 (540) 921-1722
Giles County was founded in 1806, named for William Branch Giles, on the West Virginia state line, county seat Pearisburg. Virginia has NO separate probate court – probate (“qualification”) is handled entirely by the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Giles County is part of the 27th Judicial Circuit.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Virginia calls the probate process “qualification” rather than “appointment,” and it happens administratively at the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, not before a judge, unless a dispute arises.
Small Estate Affidavit (Va. Code § 64.2-601, the “Virginia Small Estate Act”) – available when the decedent’s entire personal probate estate (excluding real estate) does not exceed $75,000, at least 60 days have passed since death, and no personal representative has been appointed or has a pending application in any jurisdiction. If a will exists, it must first be admitted to probate (recorded with the Clerk) even though no executor is appointed. As of July 1, 2026, the affidavit must be filed on the statewide form (CC-1685).
Single Small Asset Release (Va. Code § 64.2-602) – any person or institution holding a single asset of $35,000 or less may release it directly to a successor once 60 days have passed since death and no personal representative has qualified, without any affidavit required at all.
Real Estate Affidavit (Form CC-1612) – if the decedent owned only real estate, this can be recorded directly in land records without full probate. Real estate generally cannot be transferred through the small estate affidavit process.
Full Qualification / Administration – the standard path for larger or more complex estates. The personal representative appears before the Clerk, takes an oath, files the will and death certificate, and typically posts a surety bond. The estate is then supervised by a Commissioner of Accounts throughout administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to qualify as executor or administrator brings the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate to the Giles Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
The Clerk reviews the will’s validity and admits it to probate.
The personal representative takes an oath and qualifies, posting a bond if required; the Clerk issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The Commissioner of Accounts oversees the estate going forward.
The personal representative notifies creditors, pays valid debts, and manages estate assets.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed once final accounting is approved.
What it costs
Virginia imposes a PROBATE TAX on most wills admitted to probate and grants of administration: $1 state tax + $0.33 local tax for every $1,000 of estate value. No tax is imposed on estates valued at $15,000 or less.
Filing fees for qualification vary by estate size; confirm current Giles County fees directly.
Virginia does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax – repealed for deaths on or after July 1, 2007. Only the federal estate tax may 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
116 North Main St, Pearisburg, VA 24134
(540) 921-3843
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
501 East Wenonah Ave, Pearisburg, VA 24134
(540) 921-3321
ELECTIONS
Giles County Electoral Board, 501 East Wenonah Ave, Pearisburg, VA 24134
(540) 921-3321
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
New River Health District, 205 Chestnut St, Pearisburg, VA 24134
(540) 921-2591
Department of Social Services
315 North Main St, Pearisburg, VA 24134
(540) 921-3070
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: New River Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – serves Giles County
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Virginia delivers public health primarily through regional Virginia Department of Health districts rather than standalone county health departments
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