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West Virginia County
Hancock County, West Virginia
Weirton's steel heritage and West Virginia's Northern Panhandle - from Weirton Steel's extraordinary community ownership experiment (Weirton Steel - once one of the largest steel producers in America - became the largest employee-owned company in the United States in 1984 when workers purchased the mill to prevent closure, operating it as an ESOP until eventual bankruptcy in 2003 - the story of Weirton's worker-owned steel mill became a national model for employee ownership) to Hancock County's unique geography as a narrow panhandle strip between the Ohio River and Pennsylvania.
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Office: Hancock County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) – 82 Emergency Drive, New Cumberland, WV 26047 | (304) 564-4040 | Director: John Paul Jones, (304) 564-3311 ext. 277, Fax (304) 564-4031
Notes: IMPORTANT – because Hancock County sits directly across the Ohio River from the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station in Pennsylvania/Ohio, the county maintains genuine, active radiological emergency preparedness materials, including potassium iodide (KI) distribution information and an Access/Functional Needs Card program for residents needing extra evacuation assistance. The county siren system, tested periodically, was last modified in 2021 – if sounded (a steady 3-minute tone, not wailing/warbling), residents should tune to County Emergency Alert Stations. Hancock County 911 Center is a 24-hour public safety answering point covering all of Weirton (regardless of whether a specific address falls in Brooke or Hancock County) – note that cell phone 911 calls near the county line can sometimes route to a neighboring county’s or even Ohio’s 911 center depending on which cell tower is used; if this happens, simply tell the operator you need Hancock County 911 and stay on the line for transfer. The OEM site is not monitored 24/7 – always dial 911 directly for actual emergencies.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: WV-2 runs along the Ohio River; WV-8 connects New Cumberland to Chester; US-30 (the historic Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental U.S. motor road) crosses the county’s northern tip
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Hancock County Commission – 102 N. Court St., New Cumberland, WV 26047
Notes: Confirm current permitting jurisdiction and process directly with the County Commission, as detailed building permit information was limited in available sources; confirm whether your property falls under county or one of Hancock County’s incorporated municipalities (Chester, New Cumberland, or the City of Weirton), each potentially maintaining separate building departments.
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: Brooke Hancock Veterans Memorial Park honors area veterans jointly with neighboring Brooke County.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Hancock County is served by THREE separate public libraries rather than one countywide system
Branches: Mary H. Weir Public Library, 3442 Main Street, Weirton, WV 26062 – serving the community since the 1920s, officially dedicated 1958 through a gift from Ernest T. Weir in honor of his wife Mary, with over 3,000 magazine/periodical titles and access to WV Deli’s ebook/audiobook collection; Lynn Murray Memorial Library, Chester, WV – nearly 9,000-item collection with over 15,000 annual checkouts; Swaney Memorial Library, 210 S. Court Street, New Cumberland, WV 26047, (304) 564-3471 – funded through a bequest from local physician Dr. Charles T. Swaney upon his 1950 death, opened April 1954, now serving about 4,800 residents
Notes: All three libraries offer free Wi-Fi, public computers, printing/copying/faxing, and free notary services.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Hancock County, created January 15, 1848 from Brooke County and named for John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence, is genuinely the SMALLEST of West Virginia’s 55 counties (88 square miles) and its northernmost point – by some geographic definitions, the northernmost point of the entire Southern United States; the Chester Teapot, located in the City of Chester, is genuinely billed as the “World’s Largest Teapot” (14 feet tall, 14 feet in diameter), originally brought to Chester in 1938 as a converted Hires Root Beer barrel-sign representing what was then the world’s largest pottery industry – it has been restored twice (1990, 2007) by Chester citizens and even appears as a real named location (“The Giant Teapot”) in the 2024 video game Fallout 76; Chester was formerly home to the popular Rock Springs Park amusement park (1897-1970); the Peter Tarr Furnace site, near Weirton, was the FIRST iron furnace built west of the Alleghenies (built in the 1790s); the Mountaineer Casino Resort near New Cumberland is a significant regional gaming and entertainment draw; Hillcrest Wildlife Management Area (2,212 acres) and Tomlinson Run State Park both offer notable outdoor recreation
Notes: The Chester Teapot’s status as the genuine “World’s Largest Teapot,” including its unexpected cameo in a major 2024 video game, is a real, verifiable piece of only-in-Hancock-County Americana.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Hancock County GIS – accessible via hancockcountywv.org
Parcel Search: Hancock County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Hancock County 911 Center
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Hancock County Animal Shelter – 715 Gas Valley Road, New Cumberland, WV 26047 | Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM (closed weekends) – NOTE: some sources list differing weekday hours (noon–4 PM); confirm current hours directly before visiting
Services: A county-owned and operated facility with an “open door” policy, described as turning away no animals
Notes: A separate nonprofit, the Hancock County Humane Foundation (also associated with the “JCHS Foundation”), also operates in the county to support animal welfare – confirm current relationship between the county shelter and this foundation directly.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Hancock County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Hancock County is genuinely West Virginia’s smallest and northernmost county, home to the real “World’s Largest Teapot” landmark and the first iron furnace built west of the Alleghenies. Given its position directly across the Ohio River from the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station, the county maintains genuinely active radiological emergency preparedness resources worth knowing about for residents in that specific risk zone. All contact information above was sourced from official county, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Hancock County
Hancock County is West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle steel heritage county – home to Weirton Steel’s landmark employee ownership experiment and one of America’s most geographically unusual counties.
Weirton (population ~18,000) was defined by Weirton Steel – a massive integrated steel mill that employed thousands along the Ohio River. The 1984 employee buyout – creating the largest employee-owned corporation in America – was celebrated nationally as a model of worker empowerment. The eventual 2003 bankruptcy was a blow to the community and the employee ownership movement.
Hancock County’s panhandle geography – never more than a few miles wide between the Ohio River and Pennsylvania – creates a distinctive community connected to both Pittsburgh and the Ohio Valley.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Hancock County Assessor at 102 N. Court Street, New Cumberland, WV 26047, phone 304-564-3311. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Hancock County Circuit Court at 102 N. Court Street, New Cumberland, WV 26047, phone 304-564-3900, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
102 N Court St, New Cumberland, WV 26047
(304) 564-3311
CIRCUIT CLERK
102 N Court St, New Cumberland, WV 26047
(304) 564-3311
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Hancock County Clerk’s Office, New Cumberland (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Hancock County has 11 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated Hancock 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
Hancock County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 102 North Court Street, PO Box 367, New Cumberland, WV 26047 (304) 564-3311
Hancock County is in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle along the Ohio River, county seat New Cumberland. 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 Hancock 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
102 N Court St, New Cumberland, WV 26047
(304) 564-3311
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 564-3311
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Hancock County Health Department, 1400 Vine St, Weirton, WV 26062
(304) 723-1651
DHHR Office
Hancock County DHHR Office, 1400 Vine St, Weirton, WV 26062
(304) 797-8121
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Hancock 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: New Cumberland
Population: 27,500
Established: 1848
Tier: 3
Public Records
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