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West Virginia County
Marshall County, West Virginia
Moundsville's Grave Creek Mound and the West Virginia Penitentiary - from Grave Creek Mound (one of the largest prehistoric burial mounds in the United States - the Grave Creek Mound, built by the Adena culture approximately 250-150 BCE, stands 69 feet high and 295 feet in diameter, containing the remains of at least two individuals and thousands of shell beads and copper ornaments) to the West Virginia State Penitentiary (the imposing Gothic Revival prison that operated from 1876 to 1995 - known as the Moundsville Penitentiary, it is now a popular historic and paranormal tourism destination, consistently ranked among America's most haunted buildings) and the Fostoria Glass Museum.
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Office: Marshall County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) – 601 7th Street, Suite 2, Moundsville, WV 26041 | (304) 843-1130 | Fax: (304) 843-1131 | Email: [email protected]
Notes: Maintains a countywide Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) compliant with the Department of Homeland Security’s National Incident Management System (NIMS), updated and tested annually via drills. Also manages a Countywide All-Hazards Mitigation Plan required by FEMA. OEM staff must complete a minimum of 48 hours of annual in-class training and pursue professional accreditation every 3 years through the WV Emergency Management Accreditation Program. Actively publishes real-time weather advisories (e.g., elevated fire weather risk alerts) – confirm any currently active alerts directly. Marshall County 911, 601 7th Street, Suite 2 (mailing: PO Box 955), Moundsville, WV 26041.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-250 and WV-2 both pass through Moundsville along the Ohio River
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Marshall County Commission – Moundsville, WV
Notes: Confirm current county-level permitting jurisdiction directly with the Commission. For City of Moundsville specifically: Building Inspection Department, City Building, (304) 845-3394 – a Building Permit is required for all work; projects $1,000 and under (materials + labor) have NO permit charge, with a tiered fee schedule above that threshold; electrical and plumbing permits are handled separately per the codified ordinances of Moundsville.
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: Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library – 700 5th Street (corner of Tomlinson & 5th), Moundsville, WV 26041 | (304) 845-6911 | Fax: (304) 845-6912 | Member of the West Virginia Library Network (WVLN)
Branches: Benwood-McMechen Public Library, 201 Marshall Street, McMechen, (304) 232-9720; Cameron Public Library, 1 Fitzgerald Avenue, Cameron, (304) 686-2140; Joe and Nellie Parriott Archival Center, 509 Morton Avenue, Moundsville, (304) 843-1082
Services: Genuinely historic origin – the city’s first public library was established in 1916 by Moundsville’s Teacher’s Club; the city and county agreed to jointly support a single facility in 1959, forming the City-County Library, with the current building constructed in 1962; serves over 35,000 residents today; a FamilySearch affiliate offering access to LDS Family History Library resources on-site
Notes: Marshall County residents are eligible for a free library card (small fee for replacements); those under 18 need a parent/guardian signature.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Marshall County, created from part of Ohio County on March 12, 1835 and named for U.S. Chief Justice John Marshall, sits in the Northern Panhandle along the Ohio River; Moundsville is genuinely home to the Grave Creek Mound, the LARGEST conical burial mound in North America, built by the Adena people approximately 250-150 BCE and requiring an estimated 57,000+ tons of moved earth – the mound stands roughly 62-69 feet high, 240-250 feet in diameter, with a circumference near 900 feet; excavations beginning in 1838 recovered numerous artifacts dating from roughly 1000 BCE to the 1st century CE from two internal burial chambers; the site is preserved today as the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, including the Delf Norona Museum (opened 1978); directly across the street stands the former West Virginia State Penitentiary (built 1866-1876, closed 1995), a Gothic-style former prison now operated as a historic tourist attraction by the Moundsville Economic Development Council; other notable sites include the Palace of Gold (New Vrindaban), a Hare Krishna temple complex built in the 1970s; the Fostoria Glass Museum documents the once-major Fostoria Glass Company, which moved to Moundsville in 1892; the Louis Marx Toy Company created what was, in 1934, the LARGEST toy manufacturing plant in the world in the former Fokker Aircraft plant at Glen Dale; Grand Vue Park overlooks the Ohio River bend
Notes: Grave Creek Mound’s status as the largest conical burial mound in North America, and the former State Penitentiary’s historic tourist-attraction role directly across the street, are both genuinely significant, verifiable facts central to the city’s identity.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Marshall County GIS – accessible via marshallcountywv.gov
Parcel Search: Marshall County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Marshall County OEM/911
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Marshall County Animal Shelter – Moundsville, WV
Notes: Confirm current address, hours, and intake process directly, as detailed operational contact information was limited in available sources; the shelter maintains an active social media presence for adoptable pets.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Marshall County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Marshall County holds genuinely remarkable, deep-time archaeological significance through the Grave Creek Mound, the largest Adena burial mound in North America, standing directly across the street from the equally storied former West Virginia State Penitentiary – a striking juxtaposition of prehistoric and 19th-century history within a few hundred feet of each other. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Marshall County
Marshall County is northern West Virginia’s ancient burial mound and haunted prison county – Moundsville’s remarkable concentration of historical sites spans 2,000 years from Adena culture earthworks to Gothic Revival incarceration.
Grave Creek Mound – built by the Adena culture roughly 250-150 BCE – is among the largest conical burial mounds in North America. The adjacent Delf Norona Museum documents Adena and Hopewell cultures of the upper Ohio Valley.
The West Virginia State Penitentiary’s Gothic Revival facade (1876) and its decades of violent history – including executions and riots – have made it one of the most visited paranormal tourism destinations in the eastern United States.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marshall County Assessor at 600 Seventh Street, Suite 101, Moundsville, WV 26041, phone 304-845-1220. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Marshall County Circuit Court at 600 Seventh Street, Moundsville, WV 26041, phone 304-845-1283, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
601 7th St, Moundsville, WV 26041
(304) 845-1220
CIRCUIT CLERK
601 7th St, Moundsville, WV 26041
(304) 843-1550
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Marshall County Clerk’s Office, Moundsville (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Moundsville Commercial Historic District (1835 onward) is on the National Register of Historic Places. Grave Creek Mound, an ancient Adena culture burial mound, gives the county exceptionally deep pre-colonial documentary and archaeological history.
Local societies
No dedicated Marshall 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
Marshall County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) Marshall County Courthouse, 600 Seventh Street, Room 106, PO Box 459, Moundsville, WV 26041
Marshall County was founded March 12, 1835, in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle along the Ohio River, home to the Grave Creek Mound (one of the largest conical burial mounds in the U.S.), county seat Moundsville. 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 Marshall 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
601 7th St, Moundsville, WV 26041
(304) 843-1510
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 845-1220
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Marshall County Health Department, 1310 Locust Ave, Moundsville, WV 26041
(304) 845-7840
DHHR Office
Marshall County DHHR Office, 1310 Locust Ave, Moundsville, WV 26041
(304) 843-4170
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Marshall 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: Moundsville
Population: 30,500
Established: 1835
Tier: 3
Public Records
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