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The U.S. state of West Virginia is divided into fifty-five counties, each of which is further subdivided into magisterial districts. The U.S. Census Bureau defines these districts as non-functioning subdivisions used for various purposes, such as conducting elections, apportioning county officials from different areas, recording land ownership, assessing property taxes, and collecting vital statistics. Magisterial districts possess no governmental organization or authority.
After attaining independence from Virginia in 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the goal of placing authority in the hands of local governments. However, township government proved impractical across the heavily rural state, with citizens unable to meet on a regular basis, and inadequate tax revenue to meet township responsibilities.Otis K. Rice & Stephen W. Brown, West Virginia: A History, 2nd ed., University Press of Kentucky, Lexington (1993), p. 240. Following the adoption of the Constitution of West Virginia in 1872, the townships were converted into magisterial districts, and the county courts (later county commissions) empowered to establish, consolidate, or otherwise modify them.W. Va. Code § 7–2–2.
Each county shall be laid off by the county court into magisterial districts, not less than three nor more than ten in number, and as nearly equal as may be in territory and population. The districts as they now exist shall remain until changed by the county court. The county court may, from time to time, increase or diminish the number of such districts, and change the boundary lines thereof as necessity may require, in order to conform the same to the provisions of the Constitution of the State.
The only state other than West Virginia to use magisterial districts as a minor civil division of its counties is Virginia, which like West Virginia initially established a system of civil townships, in its Constitution of 1870. These were replaced by magisterial districts in 1874.Library of Virginia, "A Guide to the Frederick County (Va.) Township Records, 1871–1875" (2010).
For most of the state's history, there were three hundred and fifty magisterial districts in West Virginia, an average of six districts per county. Greenbrier, Harrison, Mason, Ohio, and Wood Counties each contained ten districts, the maximum number provided for by state law. Brooke, Grant, and Hancock were the only counties with the minimum number of three. Twenty-four different counties included a Union District, thirteen had districts named after Ulysses S. Grant, and nine counties each had districts named for George Washington and Henry Clay.
Beginning in the 1970s, many counties combined or consolidated their original magisterial districts in order to equalize their area and population, creating districts that were fewer in number, but larger in area.United States Census Bureau, U.S. Decennial Census, Tables of Minor Civil Divisions of West Virginia, 1870–2010. This created confusion with county land and tax records, in response to which the legislature provided for the establishment of tax districts following the former magisterial district lines, as they existed on January 1, 1969. In these counties, the new magisterial districts are used only for the allocation of county officials, and the collection of census data; the former magisterial districts continue to exist in the form of tax districts.W. Va. Code § 11–3–1A.
A List of the current and former magisterial districts of West Virginia, sorted by county:
Barbour County Current
North
South
West
Historic
Barker Cove Elk
Glade Philippi Pleasant
Union Valley
Berkeley County Current
Adam Stephens Norborne
Potomac Shenandoah
Tuscarora Valley
Historic
Arden Falling Water Gerrardstown
Hedgesville Martinsburg Mill Creek
Opequon
Boone County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
Historic
Crook Peytona
Scott Sherman
Washington
Braxton County Current
Eastern Northern
Southern
Western
Historic
Birch Holly
Kanawha Otter
Salt Lick
Brooke County Current
Follansbee
Weirton
Wellsburg
Historic
Buffalo
Cross Creek
Cabell County Current
District 1 District 2
District 3 District 4
District 5
Historic
Barboursville Gideon Grant
Guyandotte Kyle McComas
Union
Calhoun County Current
District 1 District 2
District 3 District 4
District 5
Historic
Center Lee
Sheridan Sherman
Washington
Clay County Current
District A
District B
District C
Historic
Buffalo Henry
Otter Pleasant
Union
Doddridge County Current
Beech Maple
Oak
Pine
Historic
Central Cove Grant
Greenbrier McClellan New Milton
Southwest West Union
Fayette County Current
New Haven
Plateau
Valley
Historic
Falls Fayetteville Kanawha
Mountain Cove Nuttall Quinnimont
Sewell Mountain
Gilmer County Current
Center City
De Kalb-Troy
Glenville
Historic
De Kalb
Troy
Grant County
Grant
Milroy
Union
Greenbrier County Current
Central
Eastern
Western
Historic
Anthony's Creek Big Levels Blue Sulphur
Falling Spring Fort Spring Frankford
Irish Corner Lewisburg Meadow Bluff
White Sulphur Williamsburg
Hampshire County
Bloomery Capon Gore
Mill Creek Romney Sherman
Springfield
Hancock County Current
Butler
Clay
Grant
Historic
Poe
Hardy County
Capon Lost River
Moorefield Old Fields
South Fork
Harrison County Current
Eastern Northern
North Urban Southern
South Urban Southwest
Historic
Clark Clay Coal
Eagle Elk Grant
Sardis Simpson Southeast
Suburban Tenmile Union
Jackson County Current
Eastern
Northern
Western
Historic
Grant Ravenswood
Ripley Union
Washington
Jefferson County Current
Charles Town Harpers Ferry
Kabletown Middleway
Shepherdstown
Historic
Bolivar
Potomac
Shepherd
Kanawha County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Historic
Big Sandy Cabin Creek Elk
Jefferson Loudon Malden
Poca Union Washington
District 5 District 6
Lewis County Current
Courthouse-Collins Settlement
Freemans Creek
Hackers Creek-Skin Creek
Historic
Collins Settlement Court House
Hackers Creek
Skin Creek
Lincoln County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
Historic
Carroll Duval Harts Creek
Jefferson Laurel Hill Sheridan
Union Washington
Logan County Current
Central
Eastern
Western
Historic
Buffalo Chapmanville East
Guyan Hardee Island Creek
Lee Logan Magnolia
Northwest Triadelphia West
Marion County Current
Middletown
Palatine
West Augusta
Historic
Fairmont Grant Lincoln
Mannington Paw Paw Union
Winfield
Marshall County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
Historic
Cameron Clay Franklin
Liberty Meade Sand Hill
Union Washington Webster
Mason County
Arbuckle Clendenin Cologne
Cooper Graham Hannan
Lewis Robinson Union
Waggener
McDowell County Current
Big Creek Browns Creek
North Elkin
Sandy River
Historic
Adkin
Elk
North Fork
Mercer County Current
District I
District II
District III
Historic
Beaver Pond East River
Jumping Branch Plymouth
Rock
Mineral County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
Historic
Cabin Run Elk
Frankfort New Creek
Piedmont Welton
Mingo County Current
Beech Ben Mate Kermit Harvey Lee
Magnolia Stafford
Tug Hardee Williamson
Historic
Hardee Harvey
Kermit
Tug River
Monongalia County Current
Central
Eastern
Western
Historic
Battelle Cass Clay
Clinton Grant Morgan
Union
Monroe County Current
Central
Eastern
Western
Historic
Forest Hill Red Sulphur Second Creek
Springfield Sweet Springs
Union Wolf Creek
Morgan County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
Historic
Allen Bath Cacapon
Rock Gap Sleepy Creek Timber Ridge
District 4
Nicholas County
Beaver Grant Hamilton
Jefferson Kentucky Summersville
Wilderness
Ohio County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
Historic
Center Clay Liberty
Madison Richland Ritchie
Triadelphia Union Washington
Webster
Pendleton County Current
Central
Eastern
Western
Historic
Bethel Circleville
Franklin Mill Run
Sugar Grove Union
Pleasants County Current
District A District B
District C
District D
Historic
Grant Jefferson
Lafayette McKim
Union Washington
Pocahontas County
Edray Greenbank
Huntersville
Little Levels
Preston County Current
First Second
Third Fourth
Fifth
Historic
Grant Kingwood Lyon
Pleasant Portland Reno
Union Valley
Putnam County Current
Buffalo-Union Curry
Pocatalico Scott
Teays
Historic
Buffalo
Union
Raleigh County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
Historic
Clear Fork Marsh Fork Richmond
Shady Spring Slab Fork Town
Trap Hill
Randolph County
Beverly Dry Fork Huttonsville
Leadsville Middle Fork Mingo
New Interest Roaring Creek Valley Bend
Ritchie County
Clay Grant
Murphy
Union
Roane County Current
Eastern Northern
Southern
Western
Historic
Curtis Geary Harper
Reedy Smithfield Spencer
Walton
Summers County Current
Bluestone River
Greenbrier River
New River
Historic
Forest Hill Greenbrier
Green Sulphur Jumping Branch
Pipestem Talcott
Taylor County Current
Eastern
Tygart
Western
Historic
Booths Creek Court House
Fetterman Flemington
Grafton Knottsville
Tucker County
Black Fork Clover Davis
Dry Fork Fairfax Licking
St. George
Tyler County Current
Central North
South
West
Historic
Centreville Ellsworth
Lincoln McElroy
Meade Union
Upshur County Current
First
Second
Third
Historic
Banks Buckhannon
Meade Union
Warren Washington
Wayne County Current
Butler Ceredo
Stonewall Union
Westmoreland
Historic
Grant
Lincoln
Webster County Current
Central
Northern
Southern
Historic
Fork Lick Glade
Hacker Valley
Holly
Wetzel County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
Historic
Center Church Clay
Grant Green Proctor
Magnolia
Wirt County Current
Central
Northeast
Southwest
Historic
Burning Springs Clay Elizabeth
Newark Reedy Spring Creek
Tucker
Wood County
Clay Harris Lubeck
Parkersburg Slate Steele
Tygart Union Walker
Williams
Wyoming County Current
District 1
District 2
District 3
Historic
Baileysville Barkers Ridge Center
Clear Fork Huff Creek Oceana
Slab Fork
References