Franklin

Formed January 1, 1785 (64^th county)

Franklin County (54,475), Rocky Mount (4,904)

The columned Classical Revival structure was constructed in 1910.  The courthouse is at Court and Main streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 220 Business in the town.  Harvey H. Huggins is the white brick and concrete building designer.  The building was enlarged in 1954 and 1989.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Franklin County was founded on January 1, 1785 from parts of Bedford and Henry counties as the 64^th county.  There was also an 1830 courthouse in Rocky Mount, the only county seat.  The county was named for American statesman Benjamin Franklin.  He is also the namesake of the City of Franklin.  The county seat is a geographical term for its location near a steep cliff. 

The area of the county is 692 square miles.  It is 7 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 33 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 78.7 persons per square mile making it 81 out of 133 in the state.  Franklin County has 9.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 220 crosses north to south in the county from Roanoke County to Henry County.  The county resembles a bowl of ice cream.  Rocky Mount is located slightly west of center in the county.  Rocky Mount is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 9.0% of the county population. 

Franklin County government consists of a sheriff and 7 Supervisors.  Four Circuit Court Judges and Six District Court Judges serve Franklin and Pittsylvania counties and Danville City and Fifty-nine Magistrate Court Judges serve Franklin, Alleghany, Amherst, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Henry, Highland, Nelson, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Roanoke, and Rockbridge counties and Buena Vista, Covington, Danville, Lexington, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Roanoke, Salem, Staunton, and Waynesboro cities.  The county is in the southern part of the state.  Roanoke, Virginia is north and Virginia Beach, Virginia is east of the county.  The county center is 4.3 miles Southeast of Rocky Mount.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Roanoke, Bedford, Pittsylvania, Henry, Patrick, and Floyd counties.  This county is in the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area.