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Office: Webster County Office of Emergency Services (OES) / 911
Notes: The county’s E911 comprehensive plan covers all municipalities including the Town of Addison (Webster Springs), Town of Cowen, and Town of Camden on Gauley – residents can request fire, police, medical, or rescue services simply by dialing 911. IMPORTANT – the county’s official social media page for OES/911 explicitly states it is NOT monitored 24 hours a day; always dial 911 directly for actual emergencies. Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meetings are held regularly at the 911/OES center. Webster Memorial EMS provides out-of-hospital acute medical care and transport.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: WV-15 and WV-20 both serve Webster Springs
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Webster County Commission – 2 Court Square, Room G-2, Webster Springs, WV 26288 | (304) 847-2110
Notes: In most of Webster County’s unincorporated areas, a shed/simple structure permit is generally NOT required, as much of the county lacks formal zoning; however, structures with electrical, plumbing, or a permanent foundation may require additional approvals, and properties near a floodplain or within Webster Springs town limits should confirm requirements directly with the County Commission, (304) 847-5780.
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: Webster County Library – Garst Memorial Library, 219 W Jackson St., Webster Springs, WV 26288 | (304) 847-5764 | Hours: Mon 9 AM–6 PM, Tue/Thu 9 AM–7 PM, Wed/Fri 9 AM–5 PM, Sat 10 AM–4 PM (closed Sun)
Services: Originally the Webster-Addison Public Library, one of the first “Instant Libraries” in West Virginia – a small carousel building opened in 1973, with a second carousel added a decade later; serves more than 5,000 Webster County residents
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Webster County, formed January 10, 1860 from parts of Nicholas, Braxton, and Randolph counties and named for Daniel Webster, is genuinely home to one of the most internationally recognized small-town festivals in all of West Virginia – the WEBSTER COUNTY WOODCHOPPING FESTIVAL, held every Memorial Day weekend since 1960 at Bakers Island Recreation Area in Webster Springs; organized by Webster County native and champion lumberjack Arden Cogar Sr. (who began competing in 1956 and won 47 championship titles across the U.S. and Australia), the festival now serves as the official SOUTHEASTERN U.S. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP for competitive woodchopping, drawing roughly 100 world-class timber sport athletes from as far away as Australia and New Zealand to compete for prize money exceeding $26,000-30,000; events include the Jack and Jill crosscut, hot saw, standing block, springboard chop, and championship chop, alongside the West Virginia State Firemen’s Rodeo Championship, a Grand Feature Parade, and the West Virginia State Turkey Calling Championship; Webster County native Melvin Lentz also achieved multiple all-around championship titles in the 1980s-90s; the sport itself is documented to have grown directly out of the entertainment young loggers created for themselves in the region’s historic mountain logging camps
Notes: The Woodchopping Festival’s genuine status as an internationally competitive world championship event, directly traceable to the county’s own timbering heritage and homegrown champions, is a remarkable, well-documented local distinction.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Webster County GIS – accessible via webstercountywv.com
Parcel Search: Webster County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Webster County OES/911
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Webster County Animal Care and Control – Erbacon/Webster Springs, WV
Services: Provides animal control, shelter, pet education, advocacy, investigation, rescue, and adoption services, plus reduced-cost spay/neuter and a foster placement program for stray/homeless dogs; holds unclaimed stray dogs for a specified period to allow owners a chance to reclaim them before offering for adoption
Notes: The shelter has publicly noted a “no-kill” 10-year milestone according to community reviews – confirm current status, hours, and address directly, as detailed operational information (beyond community reviews) was limited in available sources.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – dep.wv.gov
Notes: Contact Webster County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Webster County hosts one of West Virginia’s most genuinely internationally recognized events – the Webster County Woodchopping Festival, a real world-championship-level competitive lumberjack event rooted directly in the county’s timbering heritage and homegrown champions. The county’s rural character means minimal permitting requirements in unincorporated areas, worth understanding clearly before starting a small building project. All contact information above was sourced from official county, festival, and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Webster County County
Webster County is central West Virginia’s woodchopping festival and Elk River headwaters county – one of the most isolated counties in the eastern United States, where the annual woodchopping competition celebrates the logging culture that defined the county’s history and the upper Elk River’s cold mountain streams provide native brook trout habitat in a landscape where few roads penetrate the forested Allegheny terrain.
Webster Springs (the county seat, population ~700) is Webster County’s governmental hub, a small Elk River community in the central West Virginia Allegheny Highlands serving the county’s dispersed mountain communities and hosting the annual woodchopping festival that draws competitors from across the country.
All Services
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Webster County Assessor at 2 Court Square, Webster Springs, WV 26288, phone 304-847-2508. WV residential assessed at 60% of market value. Appeal to Board of Equalization and Review.
Courts & Legal
Webster County Circuit Court at 2 Court Square, Webster Springs, WV 26288, phone 304-847-2508, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
2 Court Sq, Webster Springs, WV 26288
(304) 847-2508
CIRCUIT CLERK
2 Court Sq, Webster Springs, WV 26288
(304) 847-2445
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Webster County Clerk’s Office, Webster Springs (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Webster 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
Webster County Clerk’s Office (Probate/Fiduciary Supervisor) 2 Court Square, Room G-4, Webster Springs, WV 26288 (304) 847-2421
Webster County was founded January 10, 1860, named for Daniel Webster, county seat Webster Springs (also historically called Addison). 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. Webster is part of the 14th Judicial Circuit (with Braxton, Clay, and Gilmer).
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 Webster 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
2 Court Sq, Webster Springs, WV 26288
(304) 847-2882
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(304) 847-2508
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Webster County Health Department, 43 Baker Ave, Webster Springs, WV 26288
(304) 847-5432
DHHR Office
Webster County DHHR Office, 43 Baker Ave, Webster Springs, WV 26288
(304) 847-5225
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Webster County Health Department
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Webster County School Based Community Health Center also provides local care access.
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Webster Springs
Population: 8,300
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Webster County County residents.
