Ohio County is named for the Ohio River which river was named for the Iroquois word meaning “beautiful river”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Brooke County
E – Washington County, Pennsylvania
S – Marshall County
W – Belmont County, Ohio and Jefferson County, Ohio
Created: October 7, 1776 
County Seat:
West Liberty 1777 – 1797
Wheeling 1797 – present
County Courthouse – Wheeling
Location: 1500 Chapline Street / 15th Street
Built: 1859 – 1960
Style: Modern
Architect: Frederic H Faris, Jr.
Contractor: Albert T Luchheti
Description: The building faces south and is a six story and two story orange-buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located in the center of Wheeling. The north section is a rectangular structure with a recessed sixth story. The west side has a concrete portico at the entrance. The south section is two stories and has a concrete portico at the south entrance. The roof line is flat. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 1st Judicial Circuit, County Magistrate Court and County Family Court. The building also serves as the Wheeling City Hall.
Note: The fourth county courthouse constructed in 1875 to 1876 was constructed in the hope of becoming the West Virginia State Capitol.
Old County Courthouse – West Liberty
Location: 1400 VanMeter Way / Washington Street
Built: 1779
Style: Federal
Architect: Abraham VanMeter
Contractor: Abraham VanMeter
Description: The building faces east and is is a two story wood frame structure. The The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of West Liberty. The building adjoins a building on the south side. The roof is hipped.
History: The county was created in 1876 and West Liberty was selected as the county seat in 1777. The first county meeting was held in the cabin of Adam Black. The first courthouse was built by Abraham VanMeter in 1779 opposite Black’s cabin. The next courthouse was to have been built by Samuel Beck in the 1790’s under the supervision of Andrew Archibald and Isaac Meek, but was not completed due to corruption. The county seat was moved to Wheeling in 1797 and the court met in an inn owned by John Gooding. The second courthouse was a two story stone block structure built in 1798 on 10th Street between Main Street and Market Street. The third courthouse was built in 1839 on the southeast corner of 12th Street and Chapline Street. The courthouse was later torn down in 1900. The fourth courthouse was designed by J S Fairfield and constructed by A H Sheppard in 1875 to 1876. The courthouse was renovated in 1886. The architect was Charles P Hamilton and the contractor was Kieves Kraft & Company. The courthouse was demolished in 1956 and replaced by the fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 1958 to 1960.
County Courthouse – Wheeling
Photos taken 2011