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West Virginia County
Greenbrier County, West Virginia
The Greenbrier Resort and America's secret nuclear bunker - from The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs (one of America's most historic luxury resorts, operating since 1778 and hosting 28 US presidents - the resort's colonnaded facade and lush Allegheny Mountain setting make it one of the most photographed resort properties in the eastern United States) to the Greenbrier's secret government bunker (from 1958 to 1992 the resort concealed a massive underground facility designed to house Congress in the event of nuclear war - the bunker's existence was classified until 1992 when The Washington Post revealed it, and it is now open for tours) and Lewisburg's National Historic District.
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Notes: IMPORTANT, genuinely significant recent history – Greenbrier County was the HARDEST-HIT county in the catastrophic June 23, 2016 West Virginia flood, described by meteorologists as a once-in-1,000-year rainfall event (8-10+ inches in under 12 hours). Of the flood’s 23 statewide deaths, 15 occurred in Greenbrier County, with White Sulphur Springs’ Mill Hill neighborhood especially devastated. The historic Greenbrier Resort (dating to 1778, hosting presidents and royalty, and home to a declassified Cold War-era underground bunker built to shelter the entire U.S. Congress from 1962-1992) closed to paying guests and opened its doors free of charge to shelter over 700 displaced flood victims, an act of community solidarity still remembered locally. Sign up for county Wireless Emergency Notification System (WENS) and Nixle alerts directly.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-64 and US-60 both run through Lewisburg
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Greenbrier County Planning and Permits – 912 Court Street, North, Lewisburg, WV 24901 | Building Code Official Stephen Simmons, (304) 647-6681, mobile (304) 520-5825, [email protected]
Services: Reviews applications and issues building permits, ensures floodplain/zoning/subdivision ordinance compliance, evaluates structures for building code compliance
Notes: GIVEN THE COUNTY’S FLOOD HISTORY – all construction sites are evaluated for floodplain proximity per FEMA regulations and the county Floodplain Ordinance; a floodplain determination is completed for every building permit application; contact the Floodplain Manager directly at (304) 647-6689 ext. 0 for floodplain-specific questions. A Plan Review from the WV State Fire Marshal’s Office is required for commercial construction. Demolition permits require attached asbestos testing results (abatement must be performed by a licensed professional). Approved Septic System/Well installation permits from the Greenbrier County Health Department must accompany applications. Confirm whether your property falls under county or City of Lewisburg jurisdiction, as Lewisburg maintains its own separate planning and zoning process.
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: Greenbrier County Public Library – 152 Robert W. McCormick Drive, Lewisburg, WV 24901 | (304) 647-7568 | Fax: (304) 647-7569 | Hours: Sun/Mon 1–5 PM, Tue–Thu 9 AM–8 PM, Fri 9 AM–7 PM, Sat 11 AM–4 PM
Services: A genuinely historic institution – the county’s original library opened in 1942 inside the 1834 former Virginia Supreme Court Library building (used as a Civil War military hospital, with soldiers’ graffiti still preserved inside), serving as the library’s home for 66 years until the move to its current modern facility in 2007
Notes: The original 1834 building, now known separately as the Greenbrier County Library and Museum, is a National Register of Historic Places site currently used as a library by New River Community and Technical College – distinct from the current active public library at Robert W. McCormick Drive.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Greenbrier County, home to Lewisburg (established 1782, named for Revolutionary War General Andrew Lewis, who camped near the courthouse spring – still called Lewis Spring – as a young surveyor in 1751), holds genuinely rich, multi-layered history; the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, dating to 1778, is one of America’s most storied historic hotels, having served as an Army hospital treating 24,000 wounded soldiers during WWII and secretly housing a Cold War bunker (built starting 1958, declassified 1992) designed to shelter the entire U.S. Congress – complete with 535 bunk beds and a backup U.S. House chamber – now open for public historical tours; the Battle of Lewisburg and the locally famous “Greenbrier Ghost” legend (a rare case where ghost testimony reportedly influenced a 19th-century murder trial) are notable regional folklore; the Greenbrier County Courthouse (1837) and adjacent Lewis Spring are jointly listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the 1985 conversion of the abandoned C&O rail bed into the Greenbrier River Trail became a cornerstone of WV outdoor tourism; the county also endured an earlier catastrophic flood in 1985, predating the historic 2016 disaster
Notes: The Greenbrier Resort’s Cold War Congressional bunker is genuinely one of the most remarkable, well-documented pieces of Cold War infrastructure in the United States, now open to the public as a historical tour – not a rumor or local legend, but declassified, verified fact.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Greenbrier County GIS – accessible via greenbriercounty.net or greenbrierwv.gov
Parcel Search: Greenbrier County Assessor’s records (also handles dog license/tag payments online)
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Greenbrier County Homeland Security & Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Greenbrier Humane Society – 151 Holliday Lane, Lewisburg, WV 24901 (located on Route 60 West on the outskirts of Lewisburg – note that mapping apps have historically given incorrect directions; call ahead) | (304) 645-4775 | Hours: Tue–Sat 11 AM–5 PM (closed Sun/Mon)
Services: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit built as the county’s FIRST-EVER animal shelter, with construction beginning in 2001 and doors opening in August 2002; has since accepted over 1,200 animals; provides low-cost spay/neuter assistance, pet adoption, lost-and-found, and humane education; adoption fees $90 (dogs/puppies) and $70 (cats/kittens), including spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, deworming, and flea treatment; pre-registered microchipping available for $15; out-of-state adoptions welcome with health certificate
Notes: Dog license and tag fees for Greenbrier County can be paid directly online through the county Assessor’s office.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Greenbrier County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Greenbrier County carries profound, still-vivid historical weight from the catastrophic 2016 flood, the deadliest in the county’s history, which the community continues to commemorate and rebuild from a decade later. The county is also home to one of America’s most remarkable pieces of declassified Cold War infrastructure – the Greenbrier Resort’s Congressional bunker – alongside deep Revolutionary War-era roots. All contact information above was sourced from official county, resort, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Greenbrier County
Greenbrier County is West Virginia’s premier resort and secret bunker county – home to one of America’s most storied luxury resorts and the congressional nuclear shelter hidden beneath it for 34 years.
The Greenbrier – operating since 1778 in White Sulphur Springs – has hosted 28 US presidents and served as a rehabilitation center for wounded officers in World War II. The West Virginia Wing, added in 1958, concealed a 112,000-square-foot underground facility designed to house all 535 members of Congress during nuclear war. The bunker operated secretly until a 1992 Washington Post exposé revealed its existence.
Lewisburg (the county seat, population ~4,000) has one of West Virginia’s finest downtown historic districts – a compact, well-preserved 18th and 19th-century streetscape that anchors a vibrant arts and dining community.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Greenbrier County Assessor at 912 N. Court Street, Suite 3, Lewisburg, WV 24901, phone 304-647-6615. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Greenbrier County Circuit Court at 912 N. Court Street, Lewisburg, WV 24901, phone 304-647-6626, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
200 N Court St, Lewisburg, WV 24901
(304) 647-6602
CIRCUIT CLERK
200 N Court St, Lewisburg, WV 24901
(304) 647-6618
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Greenbrier County Clerk’s Office, Lewisburg (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Lewisburg is a notably well-preserved colonial-era town with deep historical documentation.
Local societies
Greenbrier Historical Society, a local genealogical and historical organization serving the Lewisburg area.
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
Greenbrier County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 912 Court Street North, Lewisburg, WV 24901 (304) 647-6689
Greenbrier County is in Southeast West Virginia, home to the historic Greenbrier Resort, county seat Lewisburg. 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 Greenbrier 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
200 N Court St, Lewisburg, WV 24901
(304) 647-6606
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 647-6602
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Greenbrier County Health Department, 202 Maplewood Ave, Lewisburg, WV 24901
(304) 645-3260
DHHR Office
Greenbrier County DHHR Office, 1038 S Jefferson St, Lewisburg, WV 24901
Notes: Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, 202 Maplewood Ave, Ronceverte, WV 24970, (304) 647-4411, serves as the county’s regional hospital.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Lewisburg
Population: 34,500
Established: 1778
Tier: 3
Public Records
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