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West Virginia County
Barbour County, West Virginia
Philippi's Civil War covered bridge and the first land battle - from the Philippi Covered Bridge (the oldest covered bridge in West Virginia, built in 1852 and still carrying traffic on US-250 - the bridge was the site of the Battle of Philippi on June 3, 1861, the first land battle of the Civil War, where Union forces routed Confederate militia in a pre-dawn surprise attack) to Alderson Broaddus University's Philippi campus and the Tygart Valley River's scenic north-central West Virginia corridor.
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Notes: The 911 Center operates 24/7. Dylan Harper serves as 911 Director/Deputy OEM Director, (304) 457-0019; Corey Brandon serves as OEM Director/Deputy 911 Director, (304) 457-0020. The office develops and updates emergency management plans for weather-related, man-made, and other crisis situations declared by the Governor, and provides household emergency-preparedness education.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-250 and US-119 are primary corridors through Philippi; I-79 is roughly 20 minutes west, Corridor H roughly 20 minutes south
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Note: The Philippi/Barbour County Regional Airport has a 3,200-foot runway with dawn-to-dusk lighting.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Confirm current county-level building permit authority directly – West Virginia counties vary significantly in whether building permits are administered at the county or municipal level; for Philippi specifically, contact Philippi City Hall, 108 North Main Street, (304) 457-3700, or see philippi.org for zoning regulations
Notes: Barbour County Commission, 26 North Main Street, Philippi, WV 26416, (304) 457-4339, Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM, is the general point of contact for county administration and can direct inquiries to the appropriate permitting authority.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance – veterans.wv.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest County Veteran Service Officer)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with veterans.wv.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Philippi Public Library – confirm current hours and contact directly with the City of Philippi
Notes: Contact the City of Philippi or Barbour County directly for current library branch and hours information.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Barbour County holds genuine national historical significance as the site of the Battle of Philippi, fought June 3, 1861 and widely considered the first land engagement of the American Civil War (also known as the “Philippi Races”); this history is commemorated annually through the “Blue and Gray Reunion” historical re-enactment; the Philippi Covered Bridge, built in the 1850s to serve the Beverly-Fairmont Turnpike, is genuinely the ONLY two-lane covered bridge remaining in the entire U.S. federal highway system, spanning the Tygart Valley River in the heart of town; the Barbour County Historical Museum houses the world-famous “Philippi Mummies,” a genuinely notable and unusual regional historical curiosity; Adaland Mansion offers historic house tours; the county was, for 114 years (1909-2023), home to Alderson Broaddus University, an American Baptist institution whose Physician Assistant program is one of the oldest and best-established in the world; Audra State Park offers additional outdoor recreation
Notes: The Philippi Covered Bridge’s status as the only two-lane covered bridge in the federal highway system, and the Battle of Philippi’s status as the Civil War’s first land engagement, are both genuinely significant, independently verifiable historical facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Barbour County GIS – accessible via barbourcountywv.gov
Parcel Search: Barbour County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Barbour County Office of Emergency Management & 911
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Barbour County Animal Control (County Animal Shelter) – 605 Maple Ave, Philippi, WV 26416 | (304) 457-1567 or (304) 823-1065 | Reports/pickup: (304) 457-5167 (Communications Center)
Services: Operates a shelter and dog kennel holding pets until owners can be located; provides pet adoption; enforces dog licensing and rabies vaccination requirements under WV Code 19-20A-2 (dogs/cats must be vaccinated against rabies, boostered at 1 year then every 3 years); adopted dogs under 6 months require proof of tax registration/rabies vaccination within 30 days of turning 6 months, while dogs over 6 months require tax registration before leaving the shelter and proof of rabies vaccination within 5 days; adopters have 30 days to spay/neuter
Notes: IMPORTANT – Barbour County Animal Control partners closely with the separate nonprofit Animal Friends of Barbour County (AFOBC), (304) 823-2012, 605 Maple Ave, Philippi/Belington area, which pulls animals from the county shelter to prevent euthanasia due to space and provides ongoing care, adoption, and spay/neuter discount coordination (with Audubon Animal Clinic in Philippi and Appalachian Animal Hospital in Elkins); AFOBC receives NO funding from Barbour County or the State of West Virginia and relies entirely on donations, fundraising, and limited grants, caring for an average of 300 dogs and cats on a typical day with monthly operating costs up to $10,000. Dogs suspected of rabies are kept separate and the county Health Department is contacted immediately.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: City of Philippi Transfer Station – Hours: Monday–Friday 8 AM–12 PM, plus first Saturday of each month
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Barbour County or City of Philippi directly for refuse collection details outside city limits.
NOTES
Barbour County holds genuine national Civil War historical significance as the site of the war’s first land engagement, and its Philippi Covered Bridge is the only two-lane covered bridge remaining anywhere in the U.S. federal highway system – both verifiable, not tourism embellishment. The county’s animal welfare system runs on a genuine, close partnership between the county-run shelter and the entirely donor-funded nonprofit Animal Friends of Barbour County, which receives no government funding despite handling the bulk of ongoing animal care. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Barbour County
Barbour County is north-central West Virginia’s first Civil War battle county – the Philippi Covered Bridge witnessed the war’s first land engagement and still carries traffic 170 years later.
Philippi (the county seat, population ~2,800) hosts both the oldest covered bridge in West Virginia and the site of the first land battle of the Civil War. The June 3, 1861 Battle of Philippi – a pre-dawn Union surprise attack routing Confederate militia – occurred at the bridge on the Tygart Valley River. The bridge, rebuilt after an 1989 fire, still carries two lanes of US-250 traffic.
Alderson Broaddus University – a liberal arts institution with Baptist heritage – provides higher education in Philippi.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Barbour County Assessor at 8 N. Main Street, Suite 8, Philippi, WV 26416, phone 304-457-2336. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Barbour County Circuit Court at 8 N. Main Street, Philippi, WV 26416, phone 304-457-2232, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
8 N Main St, Philippi, WV 26416
(304) 457-2232
CIRCUIT CLERK
26 N Main St, Philippi, WV 26416
(304) 457-2230
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Barbour County Clerk’s Office, Philippi (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Barbour County Courthouse (1903-05, Richardsonian Romanesque) is on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the surrounding Philippi Historic District.
Local societies
No dedicated Barbour 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
Barbour County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 26 North Main Street, Suite 1, Philippi, WV 26416 (304) 457-2232
Barbour County was founded March 3, 1843, named for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Philip P. Barbour, in North Central West Virginia, county seat Philippi. West Virginia has NO separate probate court and has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Probate is handled administratively through the COUNTY COMMISSION, via the elected COUNTY CLERK (clerk of the county commission) and that office’s FIDUCIARY SUPERVISOR – not through the Circuit Court, which handles only contested or referred matters.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
West Virginia’s probate framework runs under Chapter 44 of the West Virginia Code, administered locally at the county commission level rather than in a court of record.
West Virginia Small Estate Act (W. Va. Code §44-1A) – available when the decedent’s ENTIRE personal probate estate does not exceed $50,000 in “small assets,” AND the decedent owned no interest in real property at all. As of a July 9, 2025 change in the law, real estate provisions were removed from the Small Estate Act entirely – any estate involving real property, of any value, can no longer use this affidavit process. If the affiant is the nominated personal representative under a will, the affidavit can be filed 30 days after death; otherwise, 60 days must pass. No personal representative may be pending or appointed in any jurisdiction.
Full/Standard Administration – required whenever real property is involved, or the estate exceeds $50,000 in personal property. The executor (with a will) or administrator (without one) qualifies before the County Clerk, receives Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, files an appraisement within 90 days of qualification, and settles the estate through the Fiduciary Supervisor or, for complex or contested matters, a court-appointed Fiduciary Commissioner.
Only if a genuine dispute arises – a will contest, or disagreement over appointment – does the matter go before the County Commission for a hearing, or in some cases the Circuit Court.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to serve as executor or administrator brings the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate to the Barbour County Clerk’s Office to qualify.
The Clerk issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration; a corporate surety bond is typically required unless waived by the will or by agreement of all beneficiaries (with no debts).
The personal representative files an appraisement of the estate’s assets, generally within 90 days of qualification.
Notice to creditors must be published; once an appraisement is filed, the County Clerk must publish notice within 30 days (or within 120 days of qualification if no appraisement is filed).
The estate is settled through the Fiduciary Supervisor’s review, or referred to a Fiduciary Commissioner if complex or contested, culminating in a final settlement and accounting.
What it costs
Court filing fees to qualify as executor or administrator generally range from about $44 to $56, depending on whether there is a will.
West Virginia sets statutory executor commissions based on estate value: 5% on the first $100,000, 4% on the next $300,000, 3% on the next $400,000, and 2% on amounts above that.
Attorney fees for straightforward estates commonly range from $2,500-$5,000, and $5,000-$10,000+ for complex or contested cases; add bond premiums, newspaper publication fees, and appraisal/recording fees.
West Virginia does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to estates above the federal exemption (roughly $15 million for a 2026 death).
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
26 N Main St, Philippi, WV 26416
(304) 457-2229
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 457-2232
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Barbour County Health Department, 3 Everest St, Philippi, WV 26416
(304) 457-1670
DHHR Office
Barbour County DHHR Office, 40 Enterprise Dr, Philippi, WV 26416
(304) 457-4227
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Barbour County Health Department
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records; also coordinates with Animal Control on suspected rabies cases
Notes: Confirm current hours directly.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Philippi
Population: 15,500
Established: 1843
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
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