Franklin County Courthouse and Jail
historic place
Mount Vernon became the Franklin County seat in 1875. An early wooden building served as the first courthouse, followed by a brick courthouse built in 1878. In 1910, county commissioners decided to build a new courthouse and jail. They planned to finance this without an election. Citizens challenged this in January 1911, filing a lawsuit. A district court initially halted construction, but the Texas Supreme Court affirmed the county's financing method by December 1911. L. R. Wright & Co. was then contracted to build the new courthouse and adjacent jail. Designed by L.L. Thurman in the Classical Revival style, these buildings were completed in 1912 for $55,000. The 1912 jail was replaced in 1993, though its original cells remain upstairs. This site illustrates Franklin County's governmental and judicial history.