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Office: Monroe County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) / 911 Center – Union, WV
Notes: Operates per WV State Code and the state Emergency Operations Plan, coordinating disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery with both profit and nonprofit agencies; works directly with FEMA during any federally declared disaster. Also develops public safety plans for major county events. Download the county’s free app for real-time alerts.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-219 runs through Union; SH-3 connects toward Sweet Springs
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Monroe County Clerk’s Office – PO Box 350, Union, WV 24983 | (304) 772-3017
Services: Issues county Improvement Location Permits under the Monroe County Floodplain Ordinance and general building/land use permits
Notes: Under the county’s Improvement Location Ordinance, the site must be inspected and approved by the County Floodplain Coordinator (and, where applicable, state/federal agencies) for qualifying projects; violations can result in a stop-work order, requiring construction to cease until corrected, with appeal available to the County Commission in writing within 30 days of a decision.
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: Monroe County Public Library – 103 South St., Union, WV 24983 | (304) 772-3038 | Fax: (304) 772-4052
Services: Union’s first public library was originally served by bookmobiles before being organized in 1947 by the Farm Women’s Club, with support from the County Commission, Board of Education, and West Virginia Library Commission; the current facility was constructed and dedicated in 1980; Director Paulette Kirby was named 2018 WV Library Commission Librarian of the Year
Notes: Offers adult education classes and preschool story hour programming.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Monroe County, created January 14, 1799 and named for James Monroe, is genuinely one of West Virginia’s most historically rich rural counties, holding 27 places on the National Register of Historic Places, including 3 of national significance; Union, the county seat laid out and settled by 1810 (400 residents by 1835, with two hotels, two tanneries, and a school), grew as a stagecoach hub connecting settlers across the Alleghenies and gained further prominence from the region’s mineral spring resorts; Sweet Springs, an unincorporated community, is home to the historic Sweet Springs Resort, whose main hotel building was genuinely DESIGNED BY THOMAS JEFFERSON – the resort became a prominent destination by 1820, hosting guests including President Martin Van Buren, Henry Clay, and John C. Calhoun; other nearby historic mineral spring resorts within a 25-mile radius of Union included Red Sulphur Springs and Salt Sulphur Springs; east of Union stands Rehoboth Church, built 1784, genuinely the OLDEST existing church building in the entire state of West Virginia; the Union Historic District, recognized for its well-preserved streetscape, was added to the National Register in 1990, and the Monroe County Historical Society preserves several additional historic structures including the Caperton Law Office and the Owen Neel House; the county also holds Civil War-era troop movement history, particularly in 1864; Moncove Lake State Park and the Indian Creek Covered Bridge offer additional outdoor and heritage attractions
Notes: The direct Thomas Jefferson architectural connection to Sweet Springs Resort, and Rehoboth Church’s status as West Virginia’s oldest standing church building, are both genuinely remarkable, verifiable historical facts for a rural county this small.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Monroe County GIS – accessible via monroecountywv.gov
Parcel Search: Monroe County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Monroe County OEM/911 Center
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Monroe County Animal League (MCAL) – Union, WV | Email: [email protected]
Services: A volunteer-run animal rescue organization with a specific focus on reduced-cost spay/neuter programs
Notes: Confirm current hours, physical intake location, and services directly, as MCAL appears to operate as a volunteer rescue network rather than a fixed walk-in shelter facility.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Monroe County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Monroe County holds a genuinely remarkable concentration of American history for its small rural size – from Thomas Jefferson’s own architectural design work at Sweet Springs Resort to Rehoboth Church, the oldest standing church building anywhere in West Virginia. The county’s 27 National Register listings reflect a deep, well-preserved historical identity centered on Union’s 19th-century mineral-springs and stagecoach heritage. All contact information above was sourced from official county, library, and heritage pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Monroe County County
Monroe County is southeastern West Virginia’s antebellum spa heritage and Greenbrier headwaters county – the Sweet Springs resort ruins that once drew Virginia’s plantation elite and the pastoral limestone farmland of the upper Greenbrier valley define a Virginia border county where Union serves the surrounding agricultural communities in the shadow of the Allegheny Mountains.
Union (the county seat, population ~600) is Monroe County’s governmental hub, one of West Virginia’s smaller county seats – a quiet Virginia border community on US 219 serving the county’s cattle farming and agricultural communities near the Sweet Springs resort site.
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Monroe County Assessor at 200 Main Street, Suite 101, Union, WV 24983, phone 304-772-3096. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Monroe County Circuit Court at 200 Main Street, Union, WV 24983, phone 304-772-3096, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
350 Main St, Union, WV 24983
(304) 772-3096
CIRCUIT CLERK
350 Main St, Union, WV 24983
(304) 772-3033
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Monroe County Clerk’s Office, Union (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Monroe 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
Monroe County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 350 Main Street, PO Box 350, Union, WV 24983
Monroe County is in Southern West Virginia along the Virginia border, county seat Union. 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 Monroe 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
350 Main St, Union, WV 24983
(304) 772-3038
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 772-3096
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Monroe County Health Department, 344 Main St, Union, WV 24983
(304) 772-3064
DHHR Office
Monroe County DHHR Office, 344 Main St, Union, WV 24983
(304) 772-3021
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Monroe 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: Union
Population: 12,500
Public Records
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