Preston

Formed January 19, 1818 (19^th county)

Preston County (34,214), Kingwood (2,983)

The tan marble Art Deco courthouse was constructed in 1933.  There was an 1870 version of the courthouse.  Preston County was organized on January 19, 1818 from Monongalia County as the 19^th county with Kingwood as the only county seat.  The county is named for Virginia Governor James Patton Preston.  The county seat is named for a local grove of trees.  Preston County is the birthplace of 1 West Virginia Governor, William G. Conley.  The courthouse is on Main Street at Pine Street.  Main Street is West Virginia State Highway 7 in the town.  Johnson Construction Company provided the drawings.  An Annex supports the courthouse.  The grounds have veteran memorials, a canon, and a liberty bell replica.

Preston County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One Circuit Court Judge serves Preston County and Two Family Court Judges and Three Magistrate Court Judges serve Preston and Monongalia counties.  The county is located on the northeast border with both Maryland and Pennsylvania.  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is northwest and Charleston, West Virginia is southwest of the county.  The county center is 2.9 miles Southeast of Kingwood.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Pennsylvania and Maryland and Grant, Tucker, Barbour, Taylor, and Monongalia counties. 

The area of the county is 648 square miles.  It is 8 out of 55 in the state.  It ranks 15 out of 55 in population in the state.  It has a density of 52.8 persons per square mile making it 27 out of 55 in the state.  Preston County has 20.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 68 crosses through the county from east to west from Maryland to Monongalia County.  United States Highway 50 enters from Maryland, east, and exits to Taylor County, southwest.  United States Highway 219 clips the southeast corner from Maryland, east, to Tucker County, southeast.  The county resembles a domed mountain standing on its head.  Kingwood is located near the center of the county.  Kingwood is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 8.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Morgantown Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Tunnelton