Franklin County is named for Benjamin Franklin, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and who lived from 1706 to 1790.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
E – Butler County
S – Hardin County
W – Wright County
Created: January 15, 1851 
County Seat:
Hampton 1854 – present
County Courthouse – Hampton
Location: 12 1st Avenue NW / Federal Street North
Built: 1890 – 1891
Style: Romanesque
Architect: Truman Dudley Allen of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Contractor: G H King
Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick and limestone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Hampton. A stone portico extends from the building with a large arched entrance. The base of the building is white colored course stone. White colored stone trim is along the windows. The notable brick features include the machicolated cornice, the circular corner features of the four central pavilions and the clusters of circular chimneys. On the center of the roof is a high square clock tower with statue of Justice at the top. The roof is hipped. The interior is richly endowed with woodwork in the Romanesque Revival style surrounding the doors and windows and supporting arched ceilings. The county offices on the first story all open onto a central rotunda with an elegant marble floor. The courtroom occupies the central portion of the second story. The building houses the County District Court of the 2A Judicial District.
See: The architect Truman Dudley Allen of Minneapolis, Minnesota also designed courthouses in Hardin County, Iowa. Blue Earth County, Rock County and Steele County, Minnesota, Medina County, Ohio and Richland County. Wisconsin.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Franklin County Courthouse
See: The 2A Judicial District includes Bremer County, Butler County, Cerro Gordo County, Floyd County, Hancock County, Mitchell County, Winnebego County and Worth County.
History: The county was created in 1851 and Hampton was selected as the county seat in 1854. The first court met at the home of Judge James B Reeve. The first courthouse was a wood structure built in 1857. The court moved to a schoolhouse and the second courthouse was built by U Weeks in 1866 at a cost of $12,500. The third courthouse was constructed in 1890 to 1891 at a cost of $60,000.
County Courthouse – Hampton
Photos taken 2008