First - Courthouse in Franklin County, Missouri - First of its Kind on Waymarking.com

County of site: Franklin County
Location of site: MO Hwy 100 and Bluff Rd, & Newport Rd., Franklin County
Population: Zero

Stone marker text:

Franklin County has had four courthouses. Newport (also called Campbellton in 1854 and Dundee in 1857), served as Franklin's county seat from date of organization in 1818 until 1826. Newport was the site of the first courthouse.

"The $1,950 contract for a brick, two-story courthouse in Newport was awarded to James McDonald in December 1819. The court gave McDonald a promissory note, and when the court could not meet the obligation, McDonald sued. The case was carried to the Missouri Supreme Court, where McDonald was awarded $3,432.25 plus costs. As part of the settlement the court awarded him the public square. His heirs later deeded it back to the county.

"Final cost of the courthouse amounted to about $3,700. The court received this building July 13, 1820, and it continued in use as a courthouse until 1827. By Clark Brown's account of the history of the courthouse, it was razed early in the 20th century; the Work Projects Administration report claimed it was standing in the 1930s.

"Because of the inconvenient river site, the legislature acted upon a citizens' petition for removal of the county seat to within three miles of the center of the county. Court was to continue in Newport until the courthouse in the new county seat was completed. The county seat moved from Newport to Union in 1827." ~ University of Missouri, Extension

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