Government

About Berkeley County

Located at the gateway to the Shenandoah Valley, Berkeley County was formed on May 15, 1772 from neighboring Frederick County, Virginia by an act of the Virginia House of Burgesses. Berkeley County originally spanned from the Blue Ridge Mountains to include all of what is now Jefferson County to Warm Springs Ridge overlooking the famed springs at the Town of Bath (Berkeley Springs) in what is now Morgan County. The county was named in honor of Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt, a royal governor of Virginia. Adam Stephen, Berkeley County’s first sheriff, laid out the county seat along Tuscarora Creek and named it Martinsburg in honor of his friend, Col. Thomas Bryan Martin. Berkeley County’s second Sheriff was Samuel Washington, brother of President George Washington.

Today, major population centers and business markets within a five hundred mile radius of Berkeley County include Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Richmond, Virginia, and New York, New York. All of these major markets are readily accessible from our County via Interstate 81, which bisects Berkeley County. Our geographic location places us in a unique marketing environment, yet our quality of life is enhanced by our "small town" character and sense of community. It is our hope that we can provide you with a useful glimpse at those features of Berkeley County, West Virginia that make us a unique location for business, leisure, and quality living.

County Seal and Flag
Census Data
Berkeley County 250th Commemoration
Over 250 Years of History

 Over 250 Years of County Officers

Assessor

Christopher Hill, Charles Hill, W.B. Colston, Thornton Henshaw, David Stuckey, James T. Guinn, David Dodd, Charles H. Miller, Henry S. Butts, John D. Gordon. Collins L. Niceley, James A. Gageby, Otho Williams, Martin L. Payne, Ellis Ellis, John W. Dodd, Harry E. Johnson, John H. Riner, Robert W. Perry, W. Strong Lewis, Harwood Burkhart, Arthur H. Stuckey, John R. Crowl, J. Wesley McDonald, James. L. Edwards, Mearle Spickler, Evelyn Fink, Preston Gooden, Patricia A. Kilmer, Gearl Raynes, Larry Hess.

Clerk of the County Court (County Clerk)

William Drew, Moses Hunter, Henry Beddinger, David Hunter, John Strother, Harrison Waite, Norman Miller, Jacob VanDoren, E.G. Alburtis, James W. Robinson, Seamon Gerard, Bernard Doll, Christian W. Doll, I.L. Bender, Harold H. Bender, E. A. Hobbs, Paul H. Martin, Harold O. Keedy, E. C. Dunham, John W. Small, Jr., Elaine Mauck, Anthony J. “Tony” Petrucci.

Clerk of the Circuit Court (Circuit Clerk)

Obed Waite, John Strother, Israel Robinson, John Dunn, Joseph Burns, John Canby, E.S. Troxall, S.H. Martin, Archibald Oden, William B. Colston, L. DeWitt Gerhardt, William C. Morton, W.S. Steven McBride, George W. Gain, J. Hugh Shipper, Robert Burkhart, Virginia Sine, Michelle R. “Shelly” Schoppert.

Judge of the Circuit Court

Robert White, Lewis P.W. Balch, Ephriam B. Hall, Joseph Chaplin, John Blair Hoge, Charles J. Faulkner, Jr., Frank Beckwith, Joseph H. Duckwell, William Broughenbraugh, John Scott, E. Boyd Faulkner, J. M. Woods, Richard E. Parker, Isaac R. Douglas, John W. Kennedy, Adrian C. Nadenbousch, Decatur H. Rogers, Gray Silver Jr., Vance E. Sencindiver, Perrie Doster, Patrick G. Henry III, Thomas Steptoe, David H. Sanders, Christopher C. Wilkes, Gray Silver III, Gina M. Groh, John C. Yoder, Michael Lorensen, Laura Faircloth, Bridget Cohee, Steven Redding, David M. Hammer, Debra McLaughlin, Catie Wilkes Delligatti.

Prosecuting Attorney

Alexander White, Elisha Boyd, David N. Conrad, Edmond P. Hunter, John E. Norris, George H. Murphy, Joseph T. Hoke, J. Nelson Wisner, H.H. Blackburn, Edmond Shaw, Reuben Price, Luther M. Shaffer, W.H.H. Flick, Perry A. Rohrbaugh, Wm. S. Henshaw, Alex. S. Hughes, George W. Feidt, U.S. Grant Pitzer, David C. Westenhaver, Ward B. Lindsey, Allen B. Noll, J.M. Woods, W.W. Downey, Herbert E. Hannis, C.G. Gain, Clarence E. Martin Jr., Vance E. Sencindiver, Earl Weller, Diana Cook Risavi, Pamela Games-Neely, Catie Wilkes Delligatti, Joseph Kinser.

Sheriff

Adam Stephen, Samuel Washington, Cato Moore, James Wilson, John Kearsley, James Campbell, John Davenport, William Porterfield, Nicholas Orrick, John Turner, Andrew Wagoner, James Stephenson, Charles Orrick, William Riddle, James Anderson, Magnus Tate, George Porterfield, Erasmus Gantt, Jacob Wever, George Harris, Philip Nadenbousch, Joel Ward, George Wolff, Anthony S. Chambers, Levi Henshaw, William Gregory, Edward Colston, Benjamin Comequy, Silas Harlan, Daniel Burkhart, Tillotson Fryatt, Jacob Van Doren, Barnet Cushwa, Daniel LaFevre, John W. Pitzer, A.J. Thomas, Moses C. Nadenbousch, George A. Chrisman, Robert Lamon, Charles R. Miller, L.C. Gerling, James H. Smith, C.L. Stuckey, E.D. Gardner, E.B. Kettering, E.H. Tabler, Harry S. Miller, William Dean, J.C. McKown, Emory F. Thomas, J. Howard Myers, Strong Lewis, Chas. H. Newkirk, Carlton Stuckey, Edwin W. Miller, William R. Reld, Lyle S. Catlett, William N. Kisner, Preston Gooden, Ron, Jones, Randy Smith, Kenneth Lemaster Jr., Curtis Keller. Nathan Harmon, Robert A. "Rob" Blair.

County Court (County Commission)

Ralph Wormley, Jacob Hite, Van Swearingen, Thos. Rutherford, Adam Stephen, John Neaville, Thos. Swearingen, Samuel Washington, James Nourse, William Little, Robert Stephen, John Briscoe, Hugh Lyle, James Strode, William Morgan, Robert Stogden, James Seaton, Robert Carter Mills, Thomas Robinson, John Puckett, George Porterfield, Erasmus Gantt, Jacob Wever, Philip Nadenbousch, Joel Ware, George Wolff, Michael Rooney, Thomas Robinson, Douglass Campbell, Levi Hanshaw, William Gregory, Edward Colston, John S. Harrison, William Morrison, Edward Gibbs, Benjamin Comequy, William Campbell, Gantt VanDorn, James L. Campbell, Louis B. Weller, Betheul M. Kitchen, Thomas J. Harley, James L. Cunningham, William Dorsey, Daniel H. Dodd, John McKown, Lewis Fry, George W. Hollida, Andrew W. McClary, John A. Voorhees, George F. Hollida, A.R. McQuilkin, Owen T. Hedges, Charles Downs, Richard Bodine, Henry J. Seibert, Lewis Grantham, Robert Tabb, John Throckmorton, Thomas Lowery, Horatio Gates, Goodwin Swift, John Avis, William Patterson, Morgan Morgan, John Cooke, Henry Whiting, Robert Worthington, William McGaw, John McAllister, Anthony Noble, John Morrow, Robert Throckmorton, John Gantt, Walter Baker, George Grundy, George Cunningham, Moses Hunter, Robert Baylor, Robert Stewart, George Scott, James Wilson, John Kearney, John Davenport, William Porterfield, Joseph Swearingen, John Turner, William Henshaw, James Maxwell, Andrew Wagoner, Alexander White, William Darke, Adam Sheppard, James Stephenson, Winn Winslip, Richard Baylor, Charles Orrick, William Alexander, Charles Cranmer, George Hite, William Riddle, James Anderson, George North, Daniel Collett, Abraham Davenport, Smith Slaughter, Morganus Tate, John Hunter, Van Rutherford, Isaac E. Houser, Martin Lupton, B.J. Speck, W.D. North, J.P. Musseter, B.F. Harmison, Silas Harlan, Isaac S. LeMarr, William Grantham, Daniel Burkhart, Tillotson Fryatt, Archibald Shearer, Robert V. Snodgrass, John Lamon, Thomas Davis, Francis Silver, Philip C. Pendleton, Conrad Hogmire, Samuel Balser, Edward Winning, William L. Boak, Alexander Oden, Thomas S. Page, Richard McSherry, William Maslin, Jacob Hamm, Stephen R. Snodgrass, Robert K. Robinson, Jacob Myers, Daniel B. Morrison, James W. Newkirk, Janes H. Robinson, Alfred Ross, Hiram McKown, David Canby, A. J. Bowers, Henry Riner, Jonathan Strine, William Sigler, Samuel R. Powell, George D. Miller, James M. Vanmetre, Harrison Tabler, Samuel Gold, William N. Riddle, Joseph H. Barnett, William Sperow, Robert Lamon, John E. Barney, Thornton Henshaw, Joseph Fiscus, Richard J. Thomas, John W. Hollida, Alexander Parks, John H. Lamon, Charles W. Stuckey, Thomas Kearns, Jacob Stuckey, William McKee, Charles Stuckey, E.C. Williams, A.B. Stismitz, Joseph Alexander, Jacob Strine, Philip Everhart, Casper Stump, George R. Wysong, William Jack, Stephen B. Meade, Alfred Ross, Israel Robinson, Joseph W. Hollis, Joseph C. Rawlins, Thomas G. Flagg, William H. Mong, Joseph Stuckey, Martin H. Payne, John W. Kendrick, Samuel Taylor, George Ferrel, William Ripple, Andrew J. Brown, William R. Parkinson, D. P. Lamaster, Moses S. Grantham, C.W. Thornburg, Blackburn Hughes, Jacob M. Seibert, John Grozinger, Charles W. Thatcher, Jacob Hesse, Joseph DeHaven, D.S. Eichelberger, John E. Boyd, Alexander Newcomer, George Doll, George H. McClarey, Barnet Cushwa, Barnett Doll, S.J. Williamson, Joseph Hoffman, F.S. Dellinger, Joseph W. Hollida, Ezekiel Showers, William Miller, Elias M. Pitzer, Archibald Myers, Thomas Wandling, John W. Lamon, William Wilan, Jacob Ropp, David Thompson, Benjamin F. Brady, J.B.A. Nadenbousch, William Leith, William J. Hensel, A.J. Bowen, G. P. Riner, Almon W. Smith, Charles L. Pitzer, Glenn M. Pitzer, Charles E. Dick, C.E. Hicks, W.R. Keller, W.M. Johnson, A.C. Dunham, J.C. Ellis, J.C. McKown, Phillip V. Strine, Garland E. Johnson, R.S. Ballenger, George J. Bradshaw. Brady A. Avey, George W. Bradshaw Jr., O.C. Noll, H.W. Pitzer, Ernest C. Alther, William F. Reid, Robert B. Fleming, J. Elbert Solenberger, Edmond S. Williams, Robert L. Noll, Harold A. Downey, Victor L. Shockey, John E. Wright, Donald L. Bayer, William N. Kisner, Patrick H. Murphy, James C. Smith, D. Wayne Dunham, Robert L. Burkhart, Howard Strauss, Ronald C. Collins, Steve C. Teufel, Anthony “Tony” Petrucci, William “Bill” Stubblefield, Doug Copenhaver, Jr., James Whitacre, James Barnhart, Elaine C. Mauck, Dan P. Dulyea, G. Edgar Gochenour, H.D. Boyd, R. Stephen “Steve” Catlett, John Hardy.

*At the time the county was formed, the Governor of Virginia appointed “Gentlemen Justices” that acted in the capacity of the present County Council, the Circuit Court and Judge. The Justices were appointed to one-year terms. The practice continued until Berkeley County became a part of West Virginia, when the state’s first Constitution required one commissioner to be elected from each magisterial district of the county, or townships and this body comprised the Board of Supervisors. This practice continued until the revision of the Constitution of West Virginia in 1872 led to the election of three individuals to comprise the County Court of Berkeley County. The County Court was subsequently renamed the County Commission in West Virginia. The governing body of the County was renamed the Berkeley County Council and expanded to five members following the 2010 election. The name of the governing body was changed again, when it was reverted to “Berkeley County Commission” on July 1, 2023.