Garrett County

Honorable Rita L. Watson
Courthouse
313 East Alder Street - Room 103
Oakland, Maryland 21550
(301) 334-1999
(888) 334-2203
Fax (301) 334-1984

Register of Wills

The Register of Wills is responsible for appointing personal representatives to administer decedents’ estates and for overseeing the proper and timely administration of these proceedings. We also perform the following duties: assist and advise the public in the preparation of all required forms; maintain and preserve the permanent record of all proceedings; serve as the Clerk to the Orphans’ Court; track estates and refer delinquent matters to the Court; determine and collect inheritance taxes and probate fees/court costs; audit accounts of personal representatives and guardians; mail various notices and court orders to interested persons; and, verify compliance with court orders. As a service we provide safekeeping for wills of living persons who reside in Garrett County.

The Importance of Wills and Estate Planning

• Appointment of trusted fiduciaries (personal representatives, trustees and guardians)
• Achieve maximum savings of administrative costs and death taxes
• Dispose of your estate according to your wishes
• Avoid possible family disputes

Garrett County Courthouse

The Garrett County Courthouse is a 1907-1908 neo-classical Renaissance Revival masonry structure in the form of a Latin Cross with a central rotunda. It is three stories high and has a low metal covered roof and dome. The south, west, and north wings are equal in length with the larger fourth wing projecting to the east or the uphill side. The equal length wings have tetrastyle Roman Ionic porticos (four columns) in front of the second and third floors. The ground floor serves as a rusticated base with three archways below each portico. The archways of the front or west side are open and form an entrance porch. The north and south archways are closed with windows. The sides of the east wing have Ionic pilasters of brick between the windows. The second and third stories are built of yellow brick. The building is encircled by a broad, dentiled cornice. The principal windows of the upper levels have double-hung wooden sashes with 1/1 lights. The second story windows have classical pedimented entablatures supported by scroll brackets. The third story windows extend into the cornice except for the inner windows along the east wing which have flat arches with keystones. The windows on the ground level have fanlights of one pane above casement windows. The tetrastyle porticos have stone balustrades with crossed balusters. The pediments above the porticos have raised floral sculpture with a center circular window in the south and north porticos and a clock in the front or west portico. The west portico has the name "Garrett County Courthouse" in applied letters above the open arches. These were apparently added in recent years. The low dome has an octagonal base decorated with anthemions and surmounted by an eagle with wings spread. On the interior, the rooms radiate out from a marble-floored central rotunda. The upper level rooms are arranged in galleries around the rotunda. The courtroom is located on the third floor of the east wing. The interior trim is symmetrical in form and that in the rotunda and galleries is grained in simulation of "golden oak."