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Office: Tyler County Office of Emergency Management – Director Tom Cooper | Office: (304) 758-5155
Notes: Tyler County E911, 121 Court St., Middlebourne, WV 26149, non-emergency (304) 758-4275; PO Box 7, Middlebourne, WV 26149. Tyler County Sheriff’s Office, (304) 758-4551. Sistersville General Hospital serves the Sistersville area directly.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: WV-2 runs along the Ohio River through Sistersville; WV-18 connects to Middlebourne
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Note: The Sistersville Ferry, one of the few remaining ferries operating on the Ohio River, has run continuously between Sistersville, WV and Fly, Ohio since a ferry was first established here around 1800 – a genuinely rare, still-active transportation link.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Tyler County Floodplain Management Office – Floodplain Manager Tom Cooper, contact via Tyler County Office of Emergency Management, (304) 758-5155
Services: In accordance with the Tyler County Floodplain Ordinance, a permit is required before building any structure or dwelling countywide; if the structure is OUTSIDE the 100-year floodplain, the permit and a $25 fee are all that’s required; if INSIDE the floodplain, construction must comply with the ordinance’s flood-loss-reduction building standards, with an additional fee
Notes: Tyler County is one of 55 WV counties that has voluntarily adopted and enforces a local floodplain management ordinance, making flood insurance available to residents and business owners.
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: Tyler County Public Library – 300 Broad Street, Middlebourne, WV 26149 | (304) 758-4304
Services: An affiliate library of the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library service center, providing access to WVReads digital materials; a member of the West Virginia Library Network (WVLN, 100+ member libraries in 37 counties) and the historic Northern Library Network (NorLN) consortium, launched 2005 with 40+ libraries across 17 counties in northern WV
Related: Sistersville Public Library also serves the county separately, (304) 652-6701; Paden City Public Library, (304) 337-9333
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Tyler County, formed December 6, 1814 from part of Ohio County, Virginia and named for John Tyler Sr. (father of President John Tyler), is genuinely tied to the early American oil industry – the community of Sistersville (established 1815, chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1839, named for sisters Sarah and Delilah Wells) exploded into a major oil boom town after the large Sistersville Oil Field was confirmed in 1891, with the historic “Joshua Russell Pole Cat No. 1” well remaining one of the field’s most productive, still producing oil into the 1920s; Sistersville is renowned today for its well-preserved, elaborate small-town architecture from that boom era, alongside the historic Sistersville Opera House; the town of Friendly, WV made real, notable history in 1937 when its women successfully campaigned to seat an ALL-FEMALE municipal government – a genuinely significant early milestone in American local political history; Middlebourne, the county seat (founded 1798, incorporated 1813), hosts the Tyler County Courthouse and Jail (built 1854, renovated 1922 by architects E.C.S. Holmboe and Mr. Pogue, Classical Revival/Beaux Arts), a National Register of Historic Places listing, alongside the broader 88-building Middlebourne Historic District (added 1993), including the Federal-style Quinif House (1805) and Gorrell-Wetzel House (1807), among the two oldest structures in the district; Middle Island Creek offers additional recreation near Middlebourne
Notes: Friendly’s 1937 all-female municipal government, and Sistersville’s genuine, still-producing oil-boom history and rare Ohio River ferry, are both distinctive, verifiable local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Tyler County GIS – accessible via tylercountywv.com
Parcel Search: Tyler County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Tyler County E911
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Enforcement: No dedicated, standalone Tyler County animal shelter was confirmed in available sources – animal cruelty, neglect, or stray concerns should be directed to the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office, (304) 758-2262 (confirm current number), as the primary point of contact
Notes: This is an honestly-flagged gap – confirm current animal control resources directly with the Tyler County Commission, as no dedicated county shelter facility could be confirmed.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Tyler County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Tyler County holds genuinely rich, verifiable history – from Sistersville’s real 19th-century oil boom and its still-operating Ohio River ferry, to Friendly’s landmark 1937 all-female municipal government. The county does not appear to maintain a dedicated animal shelter; residents should route animal welfare concerns through the Sheriff’s Office until a clearer resource is confirmed. 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 Tyler County County
Tyler County is northern West Virginia’s 1890s oil boom heritage county – Sistersville’s extraordinary Victorian architecture built on sudden petroleum wealth and the Ohio River corridor that connected this remote community to the national economy define a county whose boom-era prosperity left a more lasting physical legacy than most of West Virginia’s energy extraction episodes.
Middlebourne (the county seat, population ~800) is Tyler County’s governmental hub, a small north-central West Virginia community serving the county’s governmental needs while Sistersville on the Ohio River holds the county’s most significant historic assets.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Tyler County Assessor at 121 Main Street, Suite 2, Middlebourne, WV 26149, phone 304-758-4781. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Tyler County Circuit Court at 121 Main Street, Middlebourne, WV 26149, phone 304-758-4781, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
121 Court St, Middlebourne, WV 26149
(304) 758-2131
CIRCUIT CLERK
121 Court St, Middlebourne, WV 26149
(304) 758-2102
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Tyler County Clerk’s Office, Middlebourne (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Tyler County Courthouse and Jail (built 1854, extensively remodeled 1922 into Classical Revival/Beaux Arts style) is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated Tyler 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
Tyler County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 121 Main Street, Middlebourne, WV 26149 (304) 758-2102
Tyler County was founded December 6, 1814, named for John Tyler Sr., county seat Middlebourne, largest city Paden City. 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 Tyler 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
121 Court St, Middlebourne, WV 26149
(304) 758-2214
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 758-2131
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Tyler County Health Department, 210 Lawyers Row, Middlebourne, WV 26149
(304) 758-2141
DHHR Office
Tyler County DHHR Office, 210 Lawyers Row, Middlebourne, WV 26149
(304) 758-2131
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Wetzel/Tyler Health Department – (304) 337-2001
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records; shared jointly with neighboring Wetzel County
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Middlebourne
Population: 8,700
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Tyler County County residents.
