Franklin

Formed February 25, 1784 (9^th county)

Franklin County (23,424), Carnesville (711), Royston (2,646)

The classic Neo-Classical Revival style courthouse for Franklin County was built in 1906.  This light tan/yellow brick courthouse sits on Lavonia Street at Hull Avenue.  Georgia State Highway 59 is Lavonia Street.  Walter Chamberlin is the building designer.  The structure was renovated in 1997.  It features columns and a dome with veteran memorials on the grounds.  Warren Philplot’s home and Benjamin Acles’ home served as courthouses before 1805 when Carnesville took over as the county seat.  Organized on February 25, 1784 as the 9^th county, Statesman Ben Franklin is the namesake for the county.  He is also the name source for the county seat of Heard County.  The county was taken from parts of Cherokee and Creek lands.  Congressman Thomas Peter Carnes provided the inspiration for the county seat’s name.  Franklin County was the birthplace of 1 Georgia Governor, S. Ernest Vandiver, Jr.  The county center is 3.7 miles East of Carnesville. 

Franklin County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-four Superior Court Judges serve Franklin, Banks, Barrow, Burke, Clarke, Columbia, Elbert, Glascock, Hart, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, McDuffie, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Richmond, Taliaferro, Walton, Warren, and Wilkes counties and Six County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Franklin County (judicial.) The county is located in northeast Georgia on the border with South Carolina.  The Tugaloo River forms its eastern border.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Stephens County and South Carolina and Hart, Madison, and Banks counties. 

The area of the county is 263 square miles.  It is 115 out of 159 in the state.  It ranks 80 out of 159 in population in the state.  It has a density of 89.1 persons per square mile making it 61 out of 159 in the state.  Franklin County has 28.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 85 enters from South Carolina on the east and exits into Banks County on the west.  United States Highway 29 clips the southeast corner of the county from Hart County to Madison County.  The county is shaped like a pot with a handle.  Carnesville is located slightly west of center in the county.  Royston is located on the southeast border of the county and extends into Hart and Madison counties.  Carnesville is the county seat and Royston is the largest city.  Carnesville is 3.0% of the county population while Royston is 11.3% of the county population.