West Virginia County Resources
This entry was originally written by Johni Cerny, in Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
All but five of the counties (Grant, Lincoln, Mineral, Mingo, and Summers) that comprise West Virginia were formed between 1754 (Hampshire) and 1860 (Webster). Each county courthouse has the records created by the clerk since its inception. Microfilm copies of the records (nineteenth and early twentieth centuries) can be searched at the Archives and History Library in Charleston, the West Virginia University West Virginia University Library West Virginia Regional History Collection in Morgantown, and the The Family History Library (FHL).
The chart following this section gives the address of each county courthouse and the years covered by each record source. Some counties will answer mail inquiries, but will charge a fee for the time it takes to perform the search and copy costs. Check the website of the National Association of County Organizations, for additional information.
Land, probate, and vital records are located at the clerk's office at the county seat. Court records, including naturalizations and divorces, are at the circuit court clerk's office at the county seat. In addition to general sources for all states (see pages 17-18), the following has been used to compile the following chart:
- West Virginia County Formations and Boundary Changes. Charleston, W.Va.: Historical Records Survey, 1939.
- Sims, Edgar Barr. Making a State: Formation of West Virginia. Charleston, W.Va.: the author, 1956.
- West Virginia Association of Counties. Provides brief overviews and histories of each county.
Map | County | County Address | Date Formed | Parent County(ies) | Birth | Marriage | Death | Land | Probate | Court |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F4 | Barbour | 8 N. Main St., P.O. Box 310, Philippi 26416-1140 | 1843 | Harrison/Lewis/Randolph | 1853 | 1843 | 1853 | 1843 | 1843 | 1843 |
J3 | Berkeley | 126 W. King St., Martinsburg 25401-3210 | 1772 | Frederick, Va. | 1865 | 1781 | 1865 | 1772 | 1772 | 1772 |
B7 | Boone | 206 Court St., Madison 25130-1106 | 1847 | Kanawha/Cabell/Logan | 1865 | 1865 | 1865 | 1847 | 1865 | 1865 |
D5 | Braxton | P.O. Box 486, Sutton 26601-0486 | 1836 | Lewis/Nicholas | 1858 | 1836 | 1858 | 1836 | 1836 | 1836 |
E1 | Brooke | 632 Main St., Wellsburg 26070-1743 | 1797 | Ohio | 1853 | 1797 | 1853 | 1797 | 1797 | 1797 |
A6 | Cabell | 750 Fifth Ave., Ste. 300, Huntington 25701-2019 | 1809 | Kanawha | 1853 | 1809 | 1853 | 1808 | 1809 | 1809 |
D5 | Calhoun | P.O. Box 230, Grantsville 26147-0230 | 1856 | Gilmer | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 |
C6 | Clay | 207 Main St., Clay 25043-0190 | 1858 | Braxton/Nicholas/Kanawha | 1858 | 1858 | 1858 | 1858 | 1858 | 1858 |
D3 | Doddridge | 118 E. Court St., Rm. 102, West Union 26456-1262 | 1845 | Harrison/Tyler/Ritchie/Lewis | 1853 | 1845 | 1862 | 1845 | 1849 | 1845 |
D7 | Fayette | 100 N. Court St., Fayetteville 25840-1200 | 1831 | Logan/Nicholas/Greenbrier/Kanawha | 1866 | 1831 | 1831 | 1831 | 1832 | 1831 |
D4 | Gilmer | 10 Howard St., Courthouse, Glenville 26351-1246 | 1845 | Lewis/Kanawha | 1853 | 1845 | 1853 | 1845 | 1845 | 1845 |
G4 | Grant | 5 Highland Ave., Petersburg 26847-1705 | 1866 | Hardy | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 |
E7 | Greenbrier | P.O. Box 506, Lewisburg 24901-0506 | 1778 | Montgomery, Va./ Botetourt, Va. | 1853 | 1781 | 1853 | 1780 | 1780 | 1780 |
H3 | Hampshire | P.O. Box 806, Romney 26757-0806 | 1754 | Frederick, Va./Augusta, Va. | 1865 | 1824 | 1865 | 1757 | 1756 | 1736 |
E1 | Hancock | P.O. Box 485, New Cumberland 26047-0485 | 1848 | Brooke | 1853 | 1854 | 1853 | 1848 | 1848 | 1848 |
H4 | Hardy | 204 Washington St., Rm 111, Moorefield 26836-1155 | 1786 | Hampshire | 1853 | 1795 | 1853 | 1786 | 1786 | 1786 |
E4 | Harrison | 301 W. Main St., Clarksburg 26301-2909 | 1784 | Monongalia | 1853 | 1784 | 1853 | 1786 | 1788 | 1784 |
B5 | Jackson | P.O. Box 800, Ripley 25271-0800 | 1831 | Mason/Wood/Kanawha | 1853 | 1831 | 1853 | 1831 | 1831 | 1831 |
K3 | Jefferson | 110 E. Washington St., Charles Town 25414-1072 | 1801 | Berkeley | 1853 | 1801 | 1853 | 1801 | 1801 | 1801 |
C6 | Kanawha | 407 Virginia St. East, Charleston 25301-2524 | 1788 | Greenbrier/Montgomery | 1853 | 1792 | 1853 | 1790 | 1789 | 1773 |
E4 | Lewis | P.O. Box 466, Weston 26452-0466 | 1816 | Harrison | 1853 | 1816 | 1853 | 1817 | 1816 | 1817 |
B6 | Lincoln | P.O. Box 497, Hamlin 25523-0497 | 1867'69 | Boone/Cabell/Logan/Kanawha/Wayne | 1909 | 1909 | 1909 | 1909 | 1909 | 1909 |
B7 | Logan | 300 Stratton St., Logan 25601-3924 | 1824 | Giles, Va./Cabell/Tazewell, Va./Kanawha | 1872 | 1872 | 1872 | 1824 | 1873 | 1824 |
E3 | Marion | 200 Jackson St. Rm. 403, Fairmont 26554-2963 | 1842 | Monongalia/Harrison | 1860 | 1842 | 1842 | 1842 | 1842 | 1842 |
D2 | Marshall | Drawer B, Moundsville 26041-2192 | 1835 | Ohio | 1853 | 1835 | 1853 | 1835 | 1835 | 1835 |
B5 | Mason | 200 Sixth St., Point Pleasant 25550-1131 | 1804 | Kanawha | 1853 | 1806 | 1853 | 1803 | 1805 | 1805 |
B8 | McDowell | 90 Wyoming St., Ste. 111, Welch 24801-2487 | 1858 | Tazewell, Va. | 1872 | 1859 | 1894 | 1868 | 1893 | 1859 |
D8 | Mercer | 1501 W. Main St., Princeton 24740-2600 | 1837 | Giles, Va./Tazewell, Va. | 1853 | 1853 | 1853 | 1837 | 1837 | 1837 |
H3 | Mineral | 150 Armstrong St., Keyser 26726-3500 | 1866 | Hampshire | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 |
A7 | Mingo | P.O. Box 1197, Williamson 25661-1197 | 1895 | Logan | 1895 | 1895 | 1895 | 1895 | 1895 | 1895 |
E3 | Monongalia | 243 High St., Morgantown 26505-5434 | 1776 | District of West Augusta, Va. | 1853 | 1796 | 1853 | 1776 (index) | 1774 | 1774 |
E8 | Monroe | Main St./P.O. Box 350, Union 24983-0350 | 1799 | Greenbrier | 1853 | 1799 | 1853 | 1799 | 1799 | 1799 |
J3 | Morgan | P.O. Box 28, Berkeley Springs 25411-0028 | 1820 | Berkeley/Hampshire | 1865 | 1820 | 1865 | 1820 | 1820 | 1820 |
D6 | Nicholas | 700 Main St., Summersville 26651-1444 | 1818 | Greenbrier/Kanawha/Randolph | 1853 | 1817 | 1853 | 1818 | 1820 | 1818 |
D2 | Ohio | 1500 Chapline St., Wheeling 26003-3553 | 1776 | District of West Augusta, Va. | 1853 | 1793 | 1853 | 1778 | 1776 | 1777 |
G5 | Pendleton | P.O. Box 187, Franklin 26807-0187 | 1788 | Augusta, Va./Hardy/Rockingham, Va. | 1853 | 1800 | 1853 | 1789 | 1789 | 1789 |
C3 | Pleasants | 301 Court Lane, Ste. 101, Saint Marys 26170-1317 | 1851 | Wood/Tyler/Ritchie | 1853 | 1853 | 1853 | 1851 | 1852 | 1851 |
E6 | Pocahontas | 900-C Tenth St., Marlinton 24954-1310 | 1821 | Bath, Va./Randolph/Pendleton | 1853 | 1822 | 1853 | 1822 | 1822 | 1822 |
F3 | Preston | 101 W. Main St., Kingwood 26537-1121 | 1818 | Monongalia | 1868 | 1869 | 1868 | 1818 | 1869 | 1881 |
B5 | Putnam | 3389 Winfield Rd., Winfield 25213-9370 | 1848 | Kanawha/Cabell/Mason | 1854 | 1848 | 1853 | 1848 | 1848 | 1848 |
C7 | Raleigh | 215 Main St., Beckley 25801-4612 | 1850 | Fayette | 1853 | 1850 | 1853 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 |
F5 | Randolph | P.O. Box 2092, Elkins 26241-2092 | 1787 | Harrison | 1856 | 1787 | 1853 | 1787 | 1787 | 1787 |
D4 | Ritchie | 115 E. Main St., Rm. 201, Harrisville 26362-1271 | 1842 | Harrison/Lewis/Wood | 1853 | 1843 | 1853 | 1844 | 1843 | 1844 |
C5 | Roane | P.O. Box 69, Spencer 25276-0069 | 1856 | Kanawha/Calhoun/Jackson | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 |
D8 | Summers | P.O. Box 97, Hinton 25951-0097 | 1871 | Fayette/Mercer/Greenbrier/Monroe | 1871 | 1871 | 1871 | 1871 | 1871 | 1871 |
E3 | Taylor | 214 W. Main St., Grafton 26354-1387 | 1844 | Harrison/Barbour/Marion | 1853 | 1853 | 1853 | 1844 | 1844 | 1844 |
F4 | Tucker | 213 First St., Parsons 26287-1235 | 1856 | Randolph | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 |
D3 | Tyler | 121 Main St. , P.O. Box 66, Middlebourne 26149-0066 | 1814 | Ohio | 1853 | 1815 | 1853 | 1813 | 1815 | 1815 |
E5 | Upshur | 38 W. Main St., Buckhannon 26201-2259 | 1851 | Randolph/Lewis/Barbour | 1853 | 1853 | 1853 | 1851 | 1852 | 1851 |
A6 | Wayne | P.O. Box 248, Wayne 25570-0248 | 1842 | Cabell | 1853 | 1853 | 1853 | 1842 | 1843 | 1842 |
E5 | Webster | 2 Court Sq., Room G-1, Webster Springs 26268-1049 | 1860 | Nicholas/Braxton/Randolph | 1887 | 1887 | 1887 | 1887 | 1887 | 1887 |
D3 | Wetzel | P.O. Box 156, New Martinsville 26155-0149 | 1846 | Tyler | 1854 | 1845 (index) | 1854 | 1846 | 1847 | 1846 |
C4 | Wirt | P.O. Box 53, Elizabeth 26143-0053 | 1848 | Wood/Jackson | 1870 | 1854 | 1870 | 1848 | 1848 | 1848 |
C4 | Wood | 1 Courthouse Sq., Parkersburg 26101-5399 | 1798 | Harrison | 1853 | 1800 | 1853 | 1798 | 1800 | 1798 |
C8 | Wyoming | P.O. Box 309, Pineville 24874-0309 | 1850 | Logan | 1853 | 1855 | 1853 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 |