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West Virginia County
Brooke County, West Virginia
Bethany College's Campbell heritage and West Virginia's Northern Panhandle - from Bethany College (the oldest private college in West Virginia, founded 1840 by Alexander Campbell - a founder of the Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ movement - whose historic stone campus buildings on a hilltop above Wheeling Creek make it one of the most architecturally distinctive small colleges in Appalachia) to Brooke County's position as West Virginia's narrowest county in the Northern Panhandle and the Ohio River's industrial heritage.
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Office: Brooke County Emergency Management – coordinates disaster response, recovery, and mitigation per county/state/federal guidelines
Notes: Brooke County Emergency Medical Services operates 24/7 with paramedics, EMTs, and dispatchers – Office hours Monday–Friday 8 AM–4 PM, mailing address PO Box 268, Wellsburg, WV 26070; billing routed through MCA, 836 4th Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, toll-free (800) 676-4785. This emergency management website is NOT monitored 24/7 – for true emergencies, always dial 911 directly rather than using the website contact form.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-2 runs along the Ohio River through Wellsburg and Follansbee
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Confirm directly – Brooke County does NOT enforce building or zoning codes in unincorporated areas of the county, meaning a permit is typically NOT required for construction (including garages) outside city limits
Notes: IMPORTANT – if your property is within an incorporated municipality such as Wellsburg or Follansbee, local permit rules DO apply and must be confirmed with that city hall directly: Wellsburg City Hall, 70 Town Sq, (304) 737-2104; Bethany Town Hall, Church St, (304) 829-4217. Projects involving electrical, plumbing, or HVAC systems may still require separate state or municipal permits even in unincorporated areas – confirm directly before starting work.
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: Brooke County Public Library – 945 Main St, Wellsburg, WV 26070
Notes: The library building genuinely houses a nationally significant institution – the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor (ADBC) Museum, Education & Research Center, accessible via the library’s rear entrance. Founded in 2002 from a small donation by Sgt. Edward Jackfert of Wellsburg (a POW survivor of the Philippine campaign), it has grown into what is now genuinely the LARGEST collection of artifacts related to the American defense of the Philippines in WWII anywhere in the world, following a 2017-2018 4,500-square-foot expansion built in partnership with the library, funded through roughly $60,000 in improvements including a $5,000 West Virginia Division of Culture and History grant. The museum documents the harrowing 1942 Bataan Death March (roughly 60,000-80,000 American and Filipino POWs forced on a nearly 70-mile march, with estimated deaths of 5,000-18,000 Filipino and 500-650 American prisoners). Free admission; guided tours available by appointment (2 business days notice, 5 days for groups of 10+).
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Wellsburg, the county seat (originally chartered 1791 as “Charlestown,” renamed 1816 to avoid confusion with Charles Town in Jefferson County), was genuinely home to Patrick Gass, the LAST SURVIVING MEMBER of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and author of a published memoir of the famous journey – a direct, verifiable historical connection; Wellsburg was also home to Joseph Doddridge, author of the notable early frontier history “Notes on the Settlement and Indian Wars”; the Brooke County Museum documents thousands of local historical artifacts including glass, structures, and military items; the Peter Tarr Furnace, built in the 1790s along Kings Creek in nearby Weirton, was genuinely the FIRST iron furnace west of the Alleghenies; Cross Creek Wildlife Management Area, 2,078 total acres (with 630 acres specifically in Brooke County near Wellsburg), covers mostly reforested former strip-mine land along Cross Creek, a tributary of the Ohio River
Notes: The ADBC Museum’s status as the world’s largest collection on this specific WWII topic, and Patrick Gass’s direct historical connection as the last living Lewis and Clark Expedition member, are both genuinely, remarkably significant and verifiable facts for a county this small.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Brooke County GIS – accessible via brookecountywv.gov
Parcel Search: Brooke County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Brooke County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Brooke County Animal Shelter & Dog Warden – 797 Mac Barnes Dr, Beech Bottom, WV 26030 | Hours: Tue–Sun 11 AM–3 PM (closed Mondays)
Services: Provides shelter for homeless, lost, and abandoned animals; the Dog Warden serves as the official enforcement authority for leash laws and stray/problematic animal situations countywide; runs community outreach/education programs and volunteer/foster opportunities
Notes: A genuinely small operation (“we are a very small shelter” per the shelter’s own description) – confirm current capacity and intake process directly given its modest scale.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Brooke County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Brooke County genuinely punches above its weight historically – its public library houses the world’s largest collection of artifacts documenting the American defense of the Philippines in WWII, and Wellsburg was home to the last surviving member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The county’s unincorporated areas notably do NOT enforce building/zoning codes, a real and important distinction from most of the counties covered in this project – always confirm whether a specific property sits within an incorporated municipality before assuming no permit is needed. All contact information above was sourced from official county, library, and museum pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Brooke County
Brooke County is West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle religious heritage county – home to West Virginia’s oldest private college, founded by a leader of one of America’s significant religious restoration movements.
Bethany College – founded 1840 by Alexander Campbell, a leader of the Restoration Movement that founded the Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ – occupies a historic stone campus above Wheeling Creek. The Pendleton Heights Historic District preserves Campbell’s home and the original college buildings in one of West Virginia’s most architecturally distinctive educational settings.
Wellsburg (the county seat, population ~2,500) on the Ohio River served the county’s governmental and commercial needs in a community connected historically to both Pittsburgh’s steel economy and the Ohio Valley’s industrial heritage.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Brooke County Assessor at 632 Main Street, Suite 101, Wellsburg, WV 26070, phone 304-737-3663. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Brooke County Circuit Court at 632 Main Street, Wellsburg, WV 26070, phone 304-737-3661, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
632 Main St, Wellsburg, WV 26070
(304) 737-3663
CIRCUIT CLERK
632 Main St, Wellsburg, WV 26070
(304) 737-3661
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Brooke County Clerk’s Office, Wellsburg (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Wellsburg Historic District (1772 onward, Greek Revival/Late Victorian/Federal), including the 1836 Brooke County Courthouse, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated Brooke 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
Brooke County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 632 Main Street, Suite 201, Wellsburg, WV 26070 (304) 737-3661
Brooke County was founded November 30, 1797, named for Robert Brooke, in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle along the Ohio River, county seat Wellsburg. 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 Brooke 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
632 Main St, Wellsburg, WV 26070
(304) 737-3664
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 737-3663
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Brooke County Health Department, 1200 Pleasant Ave, Wellsburg, WV 26070
(304) 737-3665
DHHR Office
Brooke County DHHR Office, 1100 Main St, Wellsburg, WV 26070
(304) 723-1200
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Brooke County Health Department
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Confirm current hours directly.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Wellsburg
Population: 21,500
Established: 1797
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Brooke County residents.
