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Office: Gilmer County Office of Emergency Services – P.O. Box 157, Glenville, WV
Notes: Non-emergency dispatch through Glenville Dispatch, (304) 462-7306. Gilmer County Fire Board meets 2nd Wednesday monthly at Station 1 Firehouse, 606 West Main Street, Glenville, 6 PM; Gilmer County Ambulance Authority Board meets 2nd Thursday monthly at the EMS Building on West Main Street, 5 PM. First responders can use the Zello radio app for free (available to the general public for $100/year).
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-33 runs through Glenville along the Little Kanawha River
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gilmer County Clerk’s Office – 10 Howard Street, Glenville, WV 26351
Services: Maintains property records including deeds, leases, liens, and plats; provides an IDX Search tool for remote access
Notes: Confirm specific building permit process directly with the County Clerk or County Commission, as detailed permitting guidance was limited in available sources.
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: Gilmer County Public Library – Glenville, WV | Dial-A-Story Line: (304) 873-5400 | Website: gilmerpublib.org | Hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 11 AM–6 PM, Sat 11 AM–4 PM, closed Wed/Sun
Services: Free Wi-Fi, 9 public access computers, basic computer instruction, research assistance, video/audio equipment, free eBooks, Monthly Book Club, “Hot Tea Tuesdays,” a conference/video production room, and outdoor seating with Wi-Fi and solar charging stations; access to 65 other library collections statewide
Notes: A genuinely well-equipped small-county library with a distinctive modern amenity set (solar charging stations, video production room) for its size.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Gilmer County, formed February 3, 1845 and named for Thomas Walker Gilmer (Governor of Virginia 1840-41, later a U.S. Congressman and Secretary of the Navy), is genuinely West Virginia’s FIFTH-least populous county; as of 2023, the county has only ONE permanent traffic light in its entirety; Glenville, the county seat along the Little Kanawha River, is home to Glenville State University and hosts the annual West Virginia Folk Festival, a significant regional cultural event; the county contains 10 nationally registered historic landmarks, including the Gilmer County Poor Farm Infirmary (1907, Colonial Revival style, National Register of Historic Places), which operated until 1941 and now serves community/civic functions; the Cedar Creek Backway offers a designated scenic driving route; the Federal Correctional Institution, Gilmer, a medium-security federal prison for men, is genuinely the county’s LARGEST employer; Glenville’s first grist mill was built in 1812, and the current (third) county courthouse was completed in 1923
Notes: Gilmer County’s single permanent traffic light and its status as home to a major federal correctional facility (the county’s largest employer) are both genuinely notable, verifiable facts for a county this size.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Gilmer County GIS – accessible via gilmercounty.wv.gov
Parcel Search: Gilmer County Clerk’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through the Lewis-Gilmer E-911 Center, which serves both Gilmer and neighboring Lewis counties jointly
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Enforcement: Animal control contact information for Gilmer County is published through the Lewis-Gilmer E-911 Center (serving both counties jointly)
Facility: Humane Society of Gilmer County – a small local nonprofit established 2010, based in Glenville
Notes: Dog licensing in Gilmer County is generally administered at the county level (typically through the Assessor’s office), with rabies vaccination required under state law; confirm whether the City of Glenville has any additional local pet ordinance requirements beyond the county license and state rabies rules. Confirm current hours, capacity, and services directly with the Humane Society of Gilmer County, as detailed operational information was limited in available sources.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Gilmer County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Gilmer County is a genuinely small, close-knit rural county – West Virginia’s fifth-least populous, with only one permanent traffic light and a public library that punches well above its size in modern amenities. The Federal Correctional Institution here is genuinely the county’s largest employer, a significant economic anchor for a community this size. Animal control coordination runs through a joint Lewis-Gilmer E-911 arrangement, reflecting practical regional cooperation between two small neighboring counties. All contact information above was sourced from official county, library, and community pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Gilmer County County
Gilmer County is north-central West Virginia’s small college and Little Kanawha River county – Glenville State University’s presence gives this remote rural county a higher education institution that provides both local employment and regional access to college for students from the surrounding communities, while the Little Kanawha River corridor defines the county’s natural landscape.
Glenville (the county seat, population ~1,500) is Gilmer County’s governmental and university hub, a small north-central West Virginia community on US 33 whose Glenville State University campus anchors its identity and economy.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Gilmer County Assessor at 10 Howard Street, Suite 2, Glenville, WV 26351, phone 304-462-7731. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Gilmer County Circuit Court at 10 Howard Street, Glenville, WV 26351, phone 304-462-7731, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
10 Howard St, Glenville, WV 26351
(304) 462-7371
CIRCUIT CLERK
10 Howard St, Glenville, WV 26351
(304) 462-7420
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gilmer County Clerk’s Office, Glenville (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Glenville State University’s library and archives are a notable regional resource.
Local societies
No dedicated Gilmer 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
Gilmer County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 10 Howard Street, Glenville, WV 26351 (304) 462-7641
Gilmer County is in Central West Virginia, home to Glenville State University, county seat Glenville. 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. Gilmer is part of the 14th Judicial Circuit, seated in neighboring Braxton County.
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 Gilmer 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
10 Howard St, Glenville, WV 26351
(304) 462-7317
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 462-7371
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Gilmer County Health Department, 6 Mineral Rd, Glenville, WV 26351
(304) 462-7351
DHHR Office
Gilmer County DHHR Office, 6 Mineral Rd, Glenville, WV 26351
(304) 462-7371
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Gilmer County Department of Health & Human Services – (304) 462-0412
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Confirm current hours directly.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Glenville
Population: 7,300
Public Records
TruthFinder
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