National Register Listing

Franklin County Courthouse and Jail

200 N Kaufman St., Mount Vernon, TX

The Franklin County Courthouse and Jail were both designed by L.L. Thurmon and completed in 1912. The courthouse is an excellent example of an early 20th-century Classical Revival courthouse, while the jail is a much more utilitarian design. Although the jail is no longer used as a jail both buildings have served an important role in the historical development of Mount Vernon and Franklin County. Built after rail lines brought growth and prosperity to the region, the courthouse and jail replaced a smaller single building located on the public square. The courthouse continues to serve as the symbolic and political center of county activity. The 1912 courthouse and jail are nominated in the area of government and criterion C in the area of architecture, at the local level of significance.

Franklin County in northeast Texas is among the smallest counties in the state. The county is long and narrow with its largest dimensions being 12-by-30 miles, placing Mount Vernon among the state's most accessible county seats. The land is heavily wooded in many areas and industries include hardwood production, poultry, livestock, and some produce farming.

Local significance of the building:
Politics/government; Architecture

Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.