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West Virginia County
Marion County, West Virginia
Fairmont's Italian immigrant coal heritage and West Virginia University connection - from Fairmont's extraordinary Italian immigrant community (the Marion County coalfields attracted enormous numbers of Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries - their cultural influence is still visible in Fairmont's restaurants, festivals, and family names, and the annual Italian Heritage Festival celebrates this legacy) to Fairmont State University (a regional comprehensive university enrollment ~4,000, providing higher education in the Monongahela River valley) and Fairmont's pepperoni roll origin (the pepperoni roll - a soft bread roll stuffed with pepperoni - was invented in Fairmont by Giuseppe Argiro at the Country Club Bakery in 1927 as a portable, no-refrigeration-needed lunch for Italian coal miners, making it West Virginia's official state food).
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Office: Marion County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (MDHSEM) – 50 Centerview Dr, Fairmont, WV 26554 | (304) 366-0196
Notes: Organizes the Marion County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), which holds quarterly meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Central Communications Building. Marion County Central Communications (non-emergency), (304) 367-0915; Marion County Alarm Companies, (304) 367-0911; WV Emergency Management Division, (304) 558-5380 (24/7/365 statewide line). Residents are encouraged to keep at least 2 weeks of nonperishable food and a gallon of water per person per day on hand for emergencies.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-79 intersects with US-250 and US-19 at Fairmont; the Monongahela River is genuinely BORN in Marion County, at the confluence of the West Fork and Tygart Valley Rivers in Fairmont
Transit: Fairmont Marion County Transit Authority (FMCTA), founded 1973, 400 Quincy Street – 14 routes including a Saturday route; fares range $0.50 (core city) to $2.00 (trips to Clarksburg or Morgantown), increasing in $0.25 increments with distance from downtown
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Marion County Commission – 200 Jackson Street, Fairmont, WV 26554 | (304) 367-5400 (also (304) 367-5410 for Assessor)
Notes: Confirm whether your property falls under county or City of Fairmont jurisdiction, as Fairmont maintains its own separate Building Inspection office, 200 Jackson Street, 3rd Floor, Room 305, (304) 366-6211 – Fairmont building permits become invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance (extensions of up to 180 more days available in writing with justifiable cause); zoning permits (a separate, often simpler process) apply to smaller exterior projects like sheds, sidewalks, driveways, and fences. Fairmont uses a 2% permit fee model with a $60 minimum.
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: Marion County Public Library – Fairmont, WV
Notes: Confirm current hours and branch structure directly with the library.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Marion County, formed from portions of Monongalia and Harrison counties (originally part of the vast Augusta County, Virginia), is home to Fairmont, the county seat, settled 1819 and founded by Boaz Fleming, nicknamed “The Friendly City”; the county holds genuinely profound, national-scale historical weight as the site of the Monongah Mining Disaster, December 6, 1907, in which an explosion at the Fairmont Coal Company’s No. 6 and 8 mines killed at least 361-362 men and boys (some as young as 8), remaining to this day the WORST mining disaster in United States history – many victims were recent Italian, Hungarian, and Russian immigrants, and the national outcry directly led Congress to form the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1909; in 2009, Senate Resolution 337 (sponsored by Senators Byrd and Rockefeller) designated December 6 as National Miners Day; the tragedy is memorialized in Monongah with multiple markers, including an Italian-American Immigrants Memorial Bell; the county is also genuinely home to the NASA Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility in Fairmont, a real NASA software-safety center, and to Fairmont State University; downtown Fairmont suffered a major fire in April 1876 that destroyed much of its business district
Notes: The Monongah Mining Disaster’s status as the worst mine disaster in U.S. history, and its direct role in creating the federal Bureau of Mines, are genuinely significant, well-documented national historical facts – not just local lore.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Marion County GIS – accessible via marioncountywv.com
Parcel Search: Marion County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Marion County Central Communications
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Enforcement: Marion County Animal Control – (304) 366-1800
Facility: Marion County Humane Society (MCHS) – 2731 Locust Avenue, Fairmont, WV 26554 (located on Rt. 19 S toward Monongah) | (304) 366-5391 | Hours: Daily 12–4 PM
Services: A 501(c)(3) no-kill animal welfare organization serving over 56,000 Marion County residents and caring for more than 5,000 animals annually; handles owner surrenders (as capacity allows), animal complaints/cruelty investigation, low-income spay/neuter financial assistance, adoption, and provides community-service/veterinary-student learning opportunities; euthanizes only in extreme medical or behavioral cases
Notes: Confirm current adoption process details directly, as at least one adopter has reported breed-identification disputes with the shelter – worth verifying breed information independently if breed restrictions apply to your housing situation.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Marion County Litter Control handles local litter/cleanup coordination; contact the county directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Marion County carries profound national historical weight as the site of the Monongah Mining Disaster of 1907, the worst mine disaster in U.S. history, whose aftermath directly led to the creation of the federal Bureau of Mines – a tragedy still formally commemorated through National Miners Day. The county is also home to a genuine NASA facility in Fairmont, reflecting its modern role alongside its industrial past. 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 Marion County
Marion County is north-central West Virginia’s Italian heritage and pepperoni roll county – a Monongahela River coal community whose immigrant legacy produced one of Appalachia’s most distinctive culinary traditions.
Fairmont (the county seat, population ~18,000) is where the pepperoni roll was invented in 1927 – Giuseppe Argiro’s Country Club Bakery created the soft stuffed roll as a practical lunch for Italian coal miners who needed food that wouldn’t spoil without refrigeration. The pepperoni roll became West Virginia’s official state food and is now sold in convenience stores, bakeries, and restaurants across the state.
The Italian Heritage Festival each September celebrates the cultural contributions of the immigrants who came to work the Marion County coalfields.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marion County Assessor at 200 Jackson Street, Suite 402, Fairmont, WV 26554, phone 304-367-5410. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Marion County Circuit Court at 200 Jackson Street, Fairmont, WV 26554, phone 304-367-5360, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
200 Jackson St, Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 367-5440
CIRCUIT CLERK
200 Jackson St, Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 367-5410
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Marion County Clerk’s Office, Fairmont (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Marion 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
Marion County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 200 Jackson Street, PO Box 1267, Fairmont, WV 26554 (304) 367-5440
Marion County is in North Central West Virginia, county seat Fairmont. 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 Marion 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 Jackson St, Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 367-5400
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 367-5440
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Marion County Health Department, 214 Adams St, Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 366-6220
DHHR Office
Marion County DHHR Office, 1691 Pleasant Valley Rd, Fairmont, WV 26554
(304) 368-6400
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Marion County Health Department
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Confirm current hours directly.
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County Facts
County Seat: Fairmont
Population: 56,000
Established: 1842
Tier: 3
Public Records
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