Courthouse Bell

The unincorporated town of Belgreen, nine miles west of Russellville, was the county seat of Franklin County between 1878 and 1891. A post office was established in 1879, but it was later closed. The Franklin County Career Technical Center is now located on the site where the county courthouse and jail once stood. Due to this, the road between the Career Technical Center and the Science Hall of Belgreen High School is named Jail Springs Road. The courthouse and jail existed on this site after the county seat was moved from Frankfort, which is approximately seven miles north of Belgreen. 

Another interesting note is that the building that now exists as part of the After-School program at Belgreen High School was once a canning plant, one of the many businesses that once existed in Belgreen. Other businesses also included a second gas station and country store at the beginning of Highway 49, as well as a barber shop at the four-way intersection.

On the night of December 4, 1890, the courthouse burned to the ground and all of the county records were destroyed in the blaze. The county seat was then moved to Russellville and the new courthouse was built in 1891.

On the morning of January 12, 1953 the main building of the courthouse was destroyed by fire. No records were lost in this fire but there was extensive damage to the building. A new courthouse was built in the same location of native limestone and was completed in 1955.