Formed September 7, 1801 from Washington and Jefferson counties · county seat St. Clairsville. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Belmont County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTube101 West Main Street, St. Clairsville, OH 43950 · (740) 699-2144
probatecourt@co.belmont.oh.us · belmontcountyohiocourts.com
Probate/estate/will records, guardianships, marriage records, and older historical birth/death records.
101 W. Main Street, St. Clairsville, OH 43950 · (740) 699-2140
Deeds, land/property records, and mortgages — key for tracing land ownership and migration.
101 W. Main Street, St. Clairsville, OH 43950 · (740) 699-2169
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
101 W. Main Street, St. Clairsville, OH 43950 · (740) 699-2130
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
20 James Wright Place, Martins Ferry, OH 43935 · (740) 633-0314
bcdlibrary.org — Local History/Genealogy section
Books, microfilm, an obituary file, and local clippings.
Glen Rockwell Room, Hutton Memorial Library, Barnesville, OH (est. 1977, chartered 1978)
The active genealogical research organization for the county.
St. Clairsville, OH · Open May–Oct, Fri 10–2, Sat/Sun 10–4, or by appointment via Belmont County Tourism
A separate organization from the Genealogical Society. There's also a related but distinct Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum at 532 N. Chestnut St., Barnesville — (740) 425-2926.
Three related-but-separate organizations exist in this county — confirm which fits your research before contacting.
68501 Bannock Road, St. Clairsville, OH 43950 · (740) 695-1202
belmontcountyhealth.com — Vital Statistics
Current birth and death certificates. Contact Probate Court above for older/historical records.
Find A Grave — Belmont County, Interment.net — Belmont County, and the Belmont County OHGenWeb cemetery resources.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Belmont County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Belmont County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Belmont County was formed in 1801 from Jefferson and Washington Counties. For records made before then, search the parent counties:
All of Belmont County lies in the Seven Ranges, the first land surveyed under the Land Ordinance of 1785, laid out in townships and sections and sold by the federal government.
Titles that covered Belmont County, historic and current, with where to search each one. Not every historic title has been digitized — several survive only on microfilm.
| Title | Years | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| Belmont Chronicle (St. Clairsville) | 1836–1973 | Chronicling America; also Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank |
| St. Clairsville Gazette | 1862–1973 | Chronicling America |
| Daily Independent (Bellaire) | 1879–1920 | Chronicling America |
| Bellaire Daily Leader | 1913–1942 | Chronicling America |
| Bellaire Chronicle / Bellaire Democrat | 1873–1973 | Microfilm only — check Bellaire Public Library History Center |
| The Times Leader (Martins Ferry) | Current | timesleaderonline.com |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Belmont County, Ohio
Addresses and links last checked October 2026.
County guides, record walkthroughs, and brick wall breakthroughs. Subscribe on YouTube and tap the bell so new episodes find you.
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