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Office: Pendleton County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security – PO Box 187 / 335 Mill Road, Franklin, WV 26807 | (304) 358-3889 | Fax: (304) 902-9123 | Email: [email protected] | Director: Bruce Minor
Notes: IMPORTANT, genuinely significant history – the worst natural disaster in county history occurred in November 1985, when catastrophic floodwaters killed 16 people and caused severe property damage across the region (part of the broader 1985 Election Day floods); in Franklin specifically, the South Branch Potomac River crested at 22.6 feet, when flood stage in that shallow riverbed was only 7 feet. Some rural portions of the county (parts of Snowy Mountain Rd and Wimer Mountain Rd) have historically lacked telephone infrastructure capable of supporting enhanced 911 service – confirm current coverage directly if in a remote area.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-33, WV-28, and WV-55 all converge near Seneca Rocks
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Pendleton County Commission – (304) 358-7573 (permit application procedures/fees); submit applications and fees in person or by mail to the County Clerk’s Office
Services: Building permits required for new construction with permanent foundations, major improvements/renovations, structure relocation, and demolition in unincorporated Pendleton County (excludes the incorporated Town of Franklin)
Notes: Standard inspection sequence is foundation/footing, framing, rough MEP, and final inspection. WV Contractor Licensing Board licensure is required for projects $5,000+ (residential) or $25,000+ (commercial). Confirm your property’s location via the WV Property Viewer before applying, and confirm zoning compliance through Pendleton County Development Services.
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: Confirm current library system name and hours directly with the county, as detailed public library information was limited in available sources for Pendleton County specifically.
Notes: Contact the Pendleton County Commission or Town of Franklin for current library location details.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Pendleton County, created May 1, 1788 largely from Rockingham County (Virginia) and named for Virginia statesman Edmund Pendleton, holds genuinely the GREATEST TOTAL VERTICAL RELIEF of any West Virginia county – 3,708 feet between its highest and lowest points; Spruce Knob, in the county’s southwestern corner, rises to 4,861-4,863 feet, genuinely the HIGHEST POINT IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA (and of the Allegheny Mountains); nearby Seneca Rocks, a dramatic 900-foot quartzite crag, is one of the East Coast’s most famous and popular rock-climbing destinations – WWII soldiers trained here, leaving behind an estimated 75,000 soft iron pitons (some still embedded in the rock decades later, inspiring the nickname “The Face of a Thousand Pitons”); both landmarks are protected within the 100,000-acre Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, established by Congress September 28, 1965 as the FIRST national recreation area ever designated within a U.S. National Forest, and administered by the U.S. Forest Service; the area is also a real, recognizable location in the video game Fallout 76; the county’s 295 known limestone caves have a combined mapped length of nearly 37 miles, including Seneca Caverns; other scenic features include Champe Rocks, Germany Valley, and Smoke Hole Canyon; the U.S. Navy has operated a major communications facility at Sugar Grove since 1969; the annual Treasure Mountain Festival, held in Franklin each September since 1969, celebrates local heritage
Notes: Spruce Knob’s status as West Virginia’s literal highest point, and Seneca Rocks’ status as one of the East Coast’s most significant rock-climbing destinations with genuine WWII military training history, are both extraordinarily verifiable, distinctive facts for this small rural county.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Pendleton County GIS – accessible via pencowv.com
Parcel Search: Pendleton County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Pendleton County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security
Services: A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, formed 2005 specifically because the county had NO animal shelter at the time; holds a contract with the town/county government to care for and find homes for stray dogs after impoundment (for a nominal fee), though the majority of funding comes from individual/foundation donations; has saved nearly 500 stray/unwanted animals since founding; adoption fees include spay/neuter, microchip, and vaccinations (puppies under 7 months $300, more for specialty breeds); administered under the umbrella of the nonprofit Pioneer Humane Society; PAWS will ALWAYS accept back any pet previously adopted through its program if the placement doesn’t work out (refund available if returned within 30 days)
Notes: PAWS is genuinely the county’s primary and effectively only animal welfare resource, filling a gap that existed until its 2005 founding – receives no government or state operating funding beyond its modest municipal stray-dog contract.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Pendleton County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Pendleton County holds genuinely extraordinary natural landmarks – West Virginia’s literal highest point at Spruce Knob and one of the East Coast’s most celebrated rock-climbing destinations at Seneca Rocks, both protected within the first-ever national recreation area designated inside a U.S. National Forest. The county’s animal welfare relies entirely on the volunteer-founded PAWS organization, established specifically to fill a real service gap that existed until 2005. All contact information above was sourced from official county, park, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Pendleton County County
Pendleton County is West Virginia’s Seneca Rocks and Spruce Knob county – the state’s most dramatic rock formation and its highest point both lie within this remote Potomac Highlands county, giving it a concentration of natural assets that makes it one of the most visited outdoor recreation destinations in West Virginia despite being among the state’s least populous counties.
Franklin (the county seat, population ~700) is Pendleton County’s governmental hub in the South Branch Potomac valley, a small eastern West Virginia community on US 33 whose Seneca Rocks proximity, Spruce Knob access, and Monongahela National Forest setting make it the gateway to the county’s extraordinary natural landscapes.
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Pendleton County Assessor at 100 S. Main Street, Franklin, WV 26807, phone 304-358-2261. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Pendleton County Circuit Court at 100 S. Main Street, Franklin, WV 26807, phone 304-358-2261, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
609 Main St, Franklin, WV 26807
(304) 358-2210
CIRCUIT CLERK
609 Main St, Franklin, WV 26807
(304) 358-2214
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Pendleton County Clerk’s Office, Franklin (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Pendleton 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
Pendleton County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 100 South Main Street, PO Box 1167, Franklin, WV 26807 (304) 358-2505
Pendleton County was founded May 1, 1788, named for Edmund Pendleton, in the Allegheny Mountains, the second-least populous county in West Virginia, county seat Franklin. 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. Note: Pendleton County sits within the Marcellus/Utica shale region, and mineral and oil/gas interests recorded here are real property, generally disqualifying an estate from small-estate treatment.
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 Pendleton 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
609 Main St, Franklin, WV 26807
(304) 358-2555
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 358-2210
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Pendleton County Health Department, 130 Fair Grounds Rd, Franklin, WV 26807
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Pendleton Senior & Family Services, Inc., 365 Mill Road, Franklin, WV 26807, (304) 358-2421, provides additional community support services.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Franklin
Population: 6,900
Public Records
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