DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker for the Franklin County Courthouse is the one I'm drawing from here, so let me give you my telling of it. Now, Mt. Vernon didn't just appear on the map by accident.
Back in 1849, Stephen and Rebecca Keith donated the land, a public square was surveyed in a 24-acre plat, and that was that — a town had a heartbeat. When Franklin County was created in 1875, Mt. Vernon was voted county seat, and they needed a courthouse in a hurry.
What'd they get? A wooden building northeast of the square. Not exactly the pillars-and-grandeur you might picture, but it served its purpose.
Shortly after, lots on the block north of the square were purchased for $150 to make way for a two-story wooden jail that ran $1,600. Things were movin'. By 1878, Franklin County upgraded to something a little more permanent — a brick courthouse right on the square, built at a cost of $5,500.
Progress. And for a while, that was enough. But by 1910, the county commissioners decided it was time for something grander still.
They ordered an election to decide on a new courthouse and jail. And here's where the story gets interesting. The commissioners' court turned right around and rescinded that order.
No election. Instead, they called for construction warrants to be issued without one and levied a property tax to pay for the whole thing. Well.
The citizens of Franklin County had something to say about that. They filed suit against the county. In January of 1911, a district court agreed with them and prevented construction from proceeding.
Seemed like the matter was settled. Except it wasn't. An appellate court overturned that decision.
And then, by December of 1911, the Texas Supreme Court itself had affirmed the method of financing county buildings without an election. The high court had spoken. Within days — days — of that landmark decision, Franklin County commissioners awarded a contract to L.
R. Wright and Company to construct the courthouse and the adjacent jail. No more deliberating.
No more suits. Just hammers and bricks and purpose. The buildings were completed in 1912 at a cost of $55,000.
From a donated patch of land in 1849 to a legal battle that reached the Texas Supreme Court — Franklin County didn't get this courthouse easy. But it got it. And it's still standing.
What the marker says
Mt. Vernon was established in 1849 on land donated by Stephen and Rebecca Keith, and a public square was surveyed in the 24-acre plat. When Franklin County was created in 1875, Mt. vernon was voted county seat, and a wooden building northeast of the square was used as the first courthouse. Lots on the block north of the square were soon purchased for $150 for a 2-story wooden jail costing $1,600. In 1878 a brick courthouse was built on the square at a cost of $5,500. In 1910 county commissioners ordered an election to decide the building of a new courthouse and jail. The commissioners' court then rescinded that order, called for construction warrants to be issued without election, and levied a property tax to pay for the new buildings. Citizens filed suit against the county, and in January, 1911, the district court prevented construction from proceeding. An appellate court overturned the decision and by December, 1911, the Texas Supreme Court had affirmed this method of financing county buildings. Within days of the landmark decision, Franklin County commissioners awarded a contract to L. R. Wright & Co. to construct this courthouse and adjacent jail. The buildings were completed in 1912 at a cost of $55,000. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986