Simpson County is named for John Simpson, who was a military captain killed at the Battle of River Raisin.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Logan County and Warren County
E – Allen County
S – Sumner County, Tennessee and Robertson County, Tennessee
W – Logan County
Created: January 28, 1819
County Seat:
Franklin 1819 – present
County Courthouse – Franklin
Location: 101 West Cedar Street / North Main Street
Built: 1882 – 1883
Style: Beaux Arts
Architect: H P McDonald Brothers of Louisville
Contractor: I J Bogan, James N LaRue and W W Bush ( supervisors )
Description: The building faces east and is a two story dark red colored brick structure. The east front has a small portico supported by four columns and the entrance has arched windows above the doorway. The square red colored brick tower rises to a third story over the entrance. On the center of the roof is a large white colored square cupola with clock at the top and steep roof. In the interior are wood stairs ascending to the courtroom on the second story. In 1962 wings were added to the building on the north and south sides. The architect was Frank D Cain Jr. The building is located in Courthouse Square.
Note: I J Bogan, James N LaRue and W W Bush were appointed to supervise construction. One of the McDonald Brother’s superintendents, Peter Pfeiffer, an experienced stone mason, probably supervised the construction as he had done for the jail in 1879. At that time, Simpson Countian, Cornelius Peden, and his workmen undertook the Herculean task of quarrying, transporting, shaping and assembling the huge limestone blocks for the jail under the watchful and expert eye of Mr. Pfeiffer.
See: The architect H P McDonald and Brothers of Louisville, Kentucky.
Note: The courthouse retains the original clock and bell made by the McShane Bell Foundry-Henry McShane and Company, Baltimore Maryland in 1883. The bell has been used through the years to announce the opening of court sessions.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Simpson County Courthouse
County Justice Center – Franklin
Location: 101 North Court Street / East Cedar Street
Built: 2002 – 2004
Style: Modern
Architect: CMW Inc. of Lexington
Contractor: Venture Contracting Inc.
Description: The building faces east and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The east front has a projecting center section with large arched window and peaked roof. On either side of the center section are entrances on the first story. The windows along the front are framed with large arches. The wide cornice runs below the flat roof line. The base of the building has white colored concrete. The center section of the building rises to a peak above the roof line. The building houses the County Circuit Court and County District Court of the 49th Judicial Circuit.
See: The 49th Judicial Circuit includes Allen County.
History: The county was created in 1819 and Franklin was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a log structure erected on the Courthouse Square in 1819. The courthouse was torn down in 1860 and the second courthouse built was a brick structure. The courthouse burned in May. 1882. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1882 t0 1883. The County Justice Center was constructed in 2002 to 2004.
Old County Jail and Jailer’s Residence – Franklin
Location: 206 North College Street / West Washington Street
Built: 1879 – 1880
Style: Medieval Fortress
Architect: H P McDonald Brothers of Louisville
Contractor: H P McDonald Brothers of Louisville and Peter Pfeiffer (supervisor)
Description: The building faces west and is a two story light colored stone structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds to the north of the courthouse in the center of Franklin. The building houses a museum. On the south side is the Jailer’s Residence a two story red colored brick and wood structure built in 1835. It served as the jail from 1860 to 1879 as was converted to the Jailer’s Residence in 1879.
County Courthouse – Franklin
Former Courtroom
County Justice Center – Franklin
Photos taken 2007, 2014 and 2026
Images 20