Franklin County Courthouse and Jail - Mount Vernon, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 33° 11.389 W 095° 13.287
15S E 292905 N 3674528
The 1912 Franklin County Courthouse is a 3-story sandstone Classical Revival building. Next to the courthouse to the north is the two-story sandstone county jail, also built in 1912 and designed by L.L. Thurmon. The jail is a utilitarian design.
Waymark Code: WMWW2C
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/20/2017
Views: 5
Texas Historic Sites Atlas
Courthouse
The courthouse square in Mount Vernon is an open city block. The courthouse and jail are located on the block directly north of the square. The courthouse faces onto the square at the intersection of Kaufman and Dallas Streets. Directly behind the courthouse, facing onto Kaufman Street is the 1912 county jail.
Because the courthouse stands on a comer, there are two main elevations, one facing west onto Kaufman and the other facing south onto Dallas and the public square. Although almost identical, the west elevation is the primary elevation architecturally because the portico is wider, having six rather than four columns. Because the square is across Dallas Street, however the south elevation is the most visible, and is considered by most to be the main entrance.
A domed cupola rises from the center of the roof punctuating the building. The tower houses a bell and has a clock face above each courthouse elevation.
Jail
The jail has minimal architectural features and is a much more utilitarian building than the courthouse. Also completed in 1912, the jail is two stories and essentially square in plan except that the south third of the building is slightly narrower, creating a recess of approximately one foot that divides the east and west elevations. The asphalt shingle roof is a modified hip with a flat center and hipped gables on the east and west sides. The exterior is unadomed smooth face ashlar sandstone. The windows, many of with which still contain the original grid jail bars, have flat stone sills and no headers