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Office: Pleasants County Office of Emergency Services / 911 – 215 Clay St., St. Marys, WV 26170 | Non-emergency: (304) 684-0035
Notes: One central County Answering Point serves all of Pleasants County per its E911 comprehensive plan. Pleasants County Sheriff’s Office, general business line (304) 684-2285, Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM (closed weekends/holidays – dial 911 for all law enforcement emergencies and after-hours calls). Pleasants County Emergency Rescue Squad, Inc. provides EMS coverage.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: WV-2 (N. Pleasants Highway) runs along the Ohio River through St. Marys
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Note: St. Marys is genuinely one of the few remaining towns in the entire United States where freight trains run directly down the middle of a city street (2nd Street) and share the road with automotive traffic – a distinctive, still-active local feature.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Pleasants County Commission – St. Marys, WV
Notes: Confirm current county-level permitting jurisdiction and process directly with the Commission, as detailed building permit information was limited in available sources.
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 Pleasants County specifically.
Notes: Contact the Pleasants County Commission or City of St. Marys for current library location details.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Pleasants County sits along the Ohio River in the state’s Mid-Ohio Valley region; the county seat, St. Marys, was established in 1849 by Alexander Creel, who reportedly named the town after a vision of the Virgin Mary he experienced while passing the future townsite by boat on the Ohio River; St. Marys is genuinely one of the few remaining towns in the entire United States where freight trains still run directly down the middle of a public street, sharing 2nd Street with automotive traffic – a real, still-active and distinctive local phenomenon; the Pleasants County Courthouse, built 1924 in the Neo-Classical Revival style, replaced an original courthouse that was badly damaged by a lightning strike in 1923, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; St. Marys is part of the Parkersburg-Vienna metropolitan area
Notes: The freight-train-in-the-street feature of downtown St. Marys is a genuinely rare, verifiable piece of small-town Americana worth highlighting accurately.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Pleasants County GIS – accessible via pleasantscountywv.gov
Parcel Search: Pleasants County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Pleasants County Office of Emergency Services
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Pleasants County Humane Society – TWO separate locations: Cat Shelter, 2709 N. Pleasants Hwy, St. Marys, WV 26170, (304) 684-7877, Hours: Mon 8 AM–12 PM, Tue/Wed/Sat 1–4 PM (closed Sun/Thu/Fri); Dog Shelter, 669 Pike Road, St. Marys, WV 26170, (304) 684-2273; Humane Officer: (304) 684-0035
Services: A nonprofit dedicated to finding homes for unwanted, neglected, and stray dogs and cats in Pleasants County, with humane animal control and spay/neuter population control as its primary mission; adoption process includes veterinarian and personal reference checks, plus landlord approval for renters
Notes: The organization has historically reported low volunteer availability at the dog shelter specifically and ongoing need for medical supply donations (parvo/distemper vaccines, wormers) as well as everyday items like bleach, towels, and used dog houses – confirm current volunteer and donation needs directly.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Pleasants County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Pleasants County’s St. Marys carries a genuinely rare and verifiable claim to fame – one of the last towns in America where freight trains still run directly through the middle of a city street. The county’s Humane Society operates as two separate, smaller cat and dog facilities rather than one combined shelter, worth knowing when directing residents to the right location. 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 Pleasants County County
Pleasants County is West Virginia’s smallest county by area and one of its smallest by population – an Ohio River community where St. Marys serves the county’s governmental needs directly on the river, and where the Ohio River’s industrial and scenic character defines a county that has always been oriented toward the river corridor rather than the West Virginia interior.
St. Marys (the county seat, population ~1,700) is Pleasants County’s governmental hub directly on the Ohio River, a small West Virginia river town whose Ohio River heritage, Blennerhasset Island proximity downstream, and county courthouse anchor its modest community identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Pleasants County Assessor at 301 Court Lane, Suite 101, St. Marys, WV 26170, phone 304-684-3132. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Pleasants County Circuit Court at 301 Court Lane, St. Marys, WV 26170, phone 304-684-3132, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
301 Court Ln, St. Marys, WV 26170
(304) 684-3611
CIRCUIT CLERK
301 Court Ln, St. Marys, WV 26170
(304) 684-3542
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Pleasants County Clerk’s Office, St. Marys (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Pleasants County Courthouse (1924, Classical Revival) is on the National Register of Historic Places; it replaced an earlier courthouse damaged by lightning in 1923.
Local societies
No dedicated Pleasants 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
Pleasants County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 301 Court Lane, Suite 101, St. Marys, WV 26170 (304) 684-2285
Pleasants County was founded March 29, 1851, named for Virginia Governor James Pleasants, along the Ohio River, county seat St. Marys. 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 Pleasants 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
301 Court Ln, St. Marys, WV 26170
(304) 684-3512
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 684-3611
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Pleasants County Health Department, 302 Fourth St, St. Marys, WV 26170
(304) 684-2412
DHHR Office
Pleasants County DHHR Office, 302 Fourth St, St. Marys, WV 26170
(304) 684-2916
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Pleasants County Health Department – (304) 684-2461
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: St. Marys
Population: 7,400
Public Records
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