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Virginia County
Westmoreland County, Virginia
George Washington's birthplace and Northern Neck presidential heritage - from George Washington Birthplace National Monument (the site where the first president was born on February 22, 1732, on the Potomac River banks of Westmoreland County is preserved as a national monument, with a reconstructed colonial farm and stunning river views providing one of Virginia's most evocative presidential heritage experiences) to James Monroe's birthplace (Virginia's fifth president was also born in Westmoreland County in 1758, making the county the birthplace of two of America's Founding Fathers - a remarkable distinction for a small rural Tidewater county on the Potomac River's Northern Neck).
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Office: Westmoreland County Emergency Services (Emergency Medical Services Division) – provides 24/7 lifesaving care from 4 stations: Colonial Beach, Oak Grove, Montross, and Coles Point
Notes: The department also manages Emergency Management and Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Mitigation programs, covering disaster preparedness, coordinated response, and recovery planning countywide.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-3 and SH-205 are primary corridors; the county sits on the Northern Neck between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Westmoreland County Land Use Administration / Building & Zoning – George D. English Sr. Building, 111 Polk Street, Montross, VA 22520 | P.O. Box 1000, Montross, VA 22520 | (804) 493-0120 | Fax: (804) 493-0604
Services: Permit applications may be submitted online via the Citizens’ Permit Portal; staff email an invoice for fees after processing, payable online, by mail, or in person; applications for principal structures or projects requiring large/sealed plans will most likely need to be handled in person at the George D. English Sr. Building
Notes: Westmoreland County partners with Richmond, Northumberland, and Lancaster counties through the Northern Neck Planning District Commission on cross-border land use issues. Anonymous tips can be texted to Westmoreland County Land Use – text keyword WCLANDUSE to 847411.
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: Central Rappahannock Regional Library (CRRL) – 3 branches in Westmoreland County: Montross Branch, Cooper Branch, and Newton Branch
Notes: See the Spotsylvania and Stafford County services files for CRRL’s broader regional system history, founded in 1969.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Westmoreland County holds a genuinely extraordinary concentration of American founding-era history – it is the birthplace of BOTH U.S. Presidents George Washington and James Monroe, one of very few counties nationwide to claim two presidential birthplaces; the George Washington Birthplace National Monument and the James Monroe Museum both preserve and interpret this history; the county is also home to Stratford Hall, the Georgian plantation house (built 1738) of four generations of the prominent Lee family – a National Historic Landmark since 1960, it is the boyhood home of Declaration of Independence signers Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, AND the birthplace of Confederate General Robert E. Lee; Westmoreland State Park offers additional outdoor recreation along the Potomac River; the county, founded in 1653, is genuinely one of Virginia’s oldest, named for Westmorland, England; the Westmoreland County Museum in Montross covers broader regional history; Colonial Beach is the county’s largest town
Notes: This is genuinely exceptional, verifiable American history – very few U.S. counties can claim the birthplaces of two presidents plus multiple other founding-era figures within their borders.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Westmoreland County GIS – accessible via westcova.com
Parcel Search: Westmoreland County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Westmoreland County Emergency Services
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Westmoreland County Animal Shelter, operated by the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Division – 6154 Stratford Hall Road, Montross, VA 22520 | (804) 493-0869 | Dispatch: (804) 493-8066 | Email: [email protected]
Services: Staffed by a First Sergeant, two Animal Control Deputies, and a Shelter Attendant, all dedicated to humane animal treatment; responsibilities include responding to complaints, investigating neglect/cruelty, enforcing licensing/vaccination requirements, reuniting lost pets with owners, and facilitating adoptions
Notes: Animal Control services and the shelter transitioned to their current operational structure effective July 1, 2016 – confirm current details directly if referencing older records.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Contact Westmoreland County Administration directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details, as specifics were not independently confirmed for this entry
NOTES
Westmoreland County holds a genuinely remarkable place in American history – one of a small handful of U.S. counties that is the birthplace of two presidents (George Washington and James Monroe), and additionally home to Stratford Hall, birthplace of Robert E. Lee and boyhood home of two Declaration of Independence signers. This concentration of founding-era history within a single rural Northern Neck county is exceptional and well worth knowing when discussing the area. All contact information above was sourced from official county and National Park Service pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County is Virginia’s Northern Neck presidential birthplace county – the birthplace of both George Washington and James Monroe on the Potomac River banks gives Westmoreland County a founding heritage extraordinary for its small size, set against the scenic Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay tributaries of the Northern Neck peninsula.
Montross (the county seat, population ~300) is one of Virginia’s smallest county seats, with the county’s population distributed across rural communities along the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay shoreline of the Northern Neck.
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Westmoreland County Assessor at 111 Polk Street, Montross, VA 22520, phone 804-493-0130. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Westmoreland County Circuit Court at 111 Polk Street, Montross, VA 22520, phone 804-493-0108, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
122 Court Cir, Montross, VA 22520
(804) 493-0108
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Westmoreland Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Montross (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Westmoreland County is the birthplace of two U.S. presidents (George Washington and James Monroe), giving it exceptional documentary and genealogical significance.
Local societies
No dedicated Westmoreland 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
Westmoreland Circuit Court 175 Polk Street, PO Box 307, Montross, VA 22520 (804) 493-0108
Westmoreland County was founded in 1653, in the Northern Neck region, birthplace of George Washington and James Monroe, county seat Montross (largest town Colonial Beach). Virginia has NO separate probate court – probate (“qualification”) is handled entirely by the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
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 Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland 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
122 Court Cir, Montross, VA 22520
(804) 493-8066
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
122 Court Cir, Montross, VA 22520
(804) 493-0108
ELECTIONS
Westmoreland County Electoral Board, 122 Court Cir, Montross, VA 22520
(804) 493-0108
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Three Rivers Health District, 6 Costin Rd, Montross, VA 22520
(804) 493-8039
Department of Social Services
1550 Courthouse Rd, Montross, VA 22520
(804) 493-9346
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Three Rivers Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – serves Westmoreland 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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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Montross
Population: 18,500
Established: 1653
Tier: 3
Public Records
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