Franklin County Courthouse

The Franklin County Courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1925, and stands as a significant marker of a long county seat feud between Bloomington and Franklin which was not finally resolved until 1925, as the new building was built in Franklin.

In 1871 when the county was formed as county seat was the next line of business. The people of Waterloo (now Bloomington), just to the west of Franklin, decided it would be there. How disappointed the people of Franklin City (now Franklin) must have been, as this was their intention also. Disputes broke out, and records were kept in a store in Franklin City after that. Five years of fighting continued until Bloomington stole the records from Franklin City in the dead of the night, after a rainstorm. Center Creek, which had to be crossed with wagons was nearing flood stage. An accident soon occurred and some records were lost. Franklin still insisted they were the county seat, while Bloomington had the records. It was finally brought to vote, Bloomington remained the county seat until 1920 when another bitter fight ensued with Franklin winning.

The courthouse provides the central location for county offices, is the base for communications base for the County Sheriff’s Department, the new 911 Emergency Services, and the Franklin’s City Police force.