Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
“West Frankfort City Hall, located at 108 N. Emma St., is the former city hall of West Frankfort, Illinois.”
Wikipedia article West Frankfort City Hall, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 3 National Register listings published here for Franklin County · listed in 2002 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 5 fires within 5 miles of West Frankfort City Hall between 2010 and 2013, burning about 10 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 10211 |
| 7 November 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 10301 |
| 14 November 2013 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 13203 |
| 8 October 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 10236 |
| 30 October 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 10293 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names West Frankfort, the town this property stands in, in 68 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 23 thunderstorm wind, 23 hail, 12 flash flood, 3 flood. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1994 | Tornado (F1) | West Frankfort | 1 hurt, $500,000 | A tornado touched down just east of West Frankfort at Old Ben Coal Mine Number 25. One mobile home was destroyed. A 100' by 300' mine building was 805 destroyed. There was 1 injury. |
| May 1996 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | $8,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $6,000,000 | Widespread damaging winds across southern Franklin County caused lots of power outages. At the peak of the outages, 49 percent of the county was without power. A state disaster declaration was granted for Franklin County. Among the hardest hit cities was West Frankfort. Peak winds were estimated around 60 mph at Benton, but from 80 to 90 mph around West Frankfort and near the Williamson County line. Thirteen homes were destroyed beyond repair. Damage assessments indicated 184 dwellings sustained damage countywide. Of that number, 114 sustained minor damage, and 70 needed moderate repairs. Numerous trees were blown down, blocking some of the main roads. Near the Williamson County line, trees were blown across the southbound lanes of Interstate 57. Secondary roads stayed blocked for longer periods of time. The hardest hit areas were in and near Royalton, Zeigler, Orient, West Frankfort, and Thompsonville. In Christopher, sheds and carports were overturned, and trees were down on roads and power lines. An uprooted tree landed on a house. The community park in West Frankfort was closed for a little over a week due to downed trees and fences. Some schools were closed for part of the week following the storm. |
| April 1996 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | $3,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $200,000 | Numerous trees were blown down across the city. The falling trees caused major damage to at least one vehicle. Several house roofs were damaged. Extensive damage occurred to a building that houses several businesses. A northwest corner wall was blown out. The sheet metal was torn away from the building, and a door was blown off. A loading dock roof was blown off another building and onto a vehicle. Numerous power lines were down. Winds were recorded at 80 mph. |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | $100,000 | no account filed |
| October 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $50,000 | A number of downed trees and power lines were reported countywide, especially in West Frankfort and Christopher. A tree fell on top of a house in West Frankfort. Other damage in the county included destroyed gazebos, overturned carports, and destroyed chicken coops. Most of the downed power lines were due to trees falling on them. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $30,000 | Trees were down in the city. At least one home was damaged when a large branch fell on it. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $25,000 | Trees were downed and a few power poles snapped in West Frankfort as a thunderstorm line moved through Franklin County. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $25,000 | Numerous trees were blown down in and near West Frankfort. Just north of West Frankfort, a few trees were down across Highway 37. In West Frankfort, a two-foot diameter tree knocked down power lines. A large tree limb fell on a car and damaged a roof. A tree fell on the side of a house and damaged the siding. Four power lines were down in the area. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $16,000 | A few trees were uprooted. Several large tree limbs and power lines were knocked down. A camper was damaged. |
| July 2025 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | $10,000 | Multiple roads were flooded in West Frankfort with stormwater drainage systems overloaded. Some structures were impacted. Radar estimated hourly rainfall amounts for West Frankfort peaked at just over 1. |
| June 2013 | Heavy Rain | West Frankfort | $10,000 | About six inches of water was over Highway 149 in places. Several back roads were impassable, and a few residents reported water getting into homes. Around 2.5 inches of rain was received during this event. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $10,000 | A National Weather Service employee reported a downed tree was blocking one of the lanes on Interstate 57 at mile marker 65. In the same location, at least two other trees were down and four to five tree tops were snapped off. Mile marker 65 is at the West Frankfort exit. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $10,000 | Near Thompsonville, a 40 by 80 foot pole barn was blown down, and two or three trees were down. In the West Frankfort area, several trees were knocked down near the old city lake. A power line was torn down by a falling tree in West Frankfort, causing a brief power outage. |
| July 2012 | Lightning | West Frankfort | $9,000 | Lightning struck a tree and a house. The house caught fire, resulting in damage to the roof. |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $8,000 | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $6,000 | In West Frankfort, three trees were down. A trained spotter estimated peak winds were near 60 mph. Just south of Benton, trees were down near State Route 37 and Yellow Banks Road. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $6,000 | Wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph by a trained spotter near West Frankfort. A couple of trees and power lines were down just north of Benton. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $5,000 | In West Frankfort, a large tree was uprooted and fell onto a detached garage. The garage sustained significant damage. A couple miles east of West Frankfort, one living tree was uprooted and a dead tree was snapped at the base. |
| August 2016 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | $5,000 | A motorist was stranded in three to four feet of water at an intersection in West Frankfort. Public bystanders rescued the motorist. Numerous streets were closed in the city. A Cocorahs (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) observer in West Frankfort measured a three-day rainfall total of 7.90 inches. Ditches were overflowing onto Route 149 east of Zeigler. |
| April 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $5,000 | Numerous trees were blown down in Thompsonville, and a tree was down in the eastern part of West Frankfort. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $4,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in and around West Frankfort. The southwest portion of the city was hardest hit. About a mile west of West Frankfort, wind gusts estimated near 70 MPH downed trees, including one tree that fell on a house. A couple miles south of Thompsonville, the tin roof of a barn was damaged, and two or three large trees were down. |
| October 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $3,000 | A large tree limb was snapped off and fell onto a pickup truck in West Frankfort. |
| September 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $3,000 | Large tree limbs and a large tree were blown down. |
| February 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $2,000 | In West Frankfort, a couple of large trees were uprooted, one of which fell onto a fence. The winds were associated with a passing line of showers. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | $2,000 | A few maple tree limbs were down. |
| September 2024 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | - | Multiple social media posts and comments reported flash flooding in and around West Frankfort. Radar and rain gauge reports suggest approximately 2 inches of rain in under 90 minutes as two lines of heavy rain merged. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | - | Large branches were blown down. |
| March 2020 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | - | Flooding was reported across parts of the county due to water drainage being impeded by hail on the ground. |
| June 2020 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | - | Numerous roads were flooded in West Frankfort. A rain gage near Zeigler measured 2.92 inches. |
| February 2018 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | - | Several roads were impassable in the southeast portion of the county. In the West Frankfort area, water was over parts of Highway 149 and nearby side roads. |
| July 2017 | Flood | West Frankfort | - | A trained spotter reported six inches of water over both lanes of Route 149 in the Frankfort Heights area, which is on the east side of West Frankfort. |
| December 2015 | Heavy Rain | West Frankfort | - | A storm total of 4.66 inches was reported since the early morning of the 26th. There were pockets of street flooding due to sewer overflow. |
| January 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | - | A wind gust to 70 mph was measured by a trained spotter. |
| April 2011 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | - | Flooding was up to the doors of cars on Highway 37 and on a city street. |
| June 2011 | Funnel Cloud | West Frankfort | - | Trained spotters reported rotating funnel clouds in the area near West Frankfort and Benton. |
| June 2008 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | Nickel to quarter size hail was reported several miles east of West Frankfort and at Thompsonville. |
| June 2008 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | Quarter to half dollar size hail was reported in West Frankfort. Penny size hail occurred a few miles east of town. |
| January 2007 | Heavy Rain | West Frankfort | - | Heavy rain caused the flooding of a lesser travelled secondary road. |
| March 2006 | Flash Flood | West Frankfort | - | Widespread flash flooding occurred in West Frankfort after five inches of rain fell in a relatively short period of time. Numerous residents reported several inches of standing water in their neighborhoods. Some floodwaters entered a high school gymnasium, but the water was cleaned up with no permanent damage. A few streets were under water. Just east of Christopher, Andes Creek was out of its banks and covering a roadway. |
| June 2004 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | Hail slightly smaller than tennis balls was reported on the Williamson/Franklin County line. |
| January 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Frankfort | - | Tree limbs were down near West Frankfort. |
| June 2023 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| March 2020 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| June 2019 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| April 2016 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| April 2015 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| February 2014 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| July 2012 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| July 2012 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| March 2012 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| March 2012 | Funnel Cloud | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| March 2012 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| March 2012 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | West Frankfort | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Franklin County Jail | 6.8 miles | 1999 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 02000460 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Franklin County | All 3 listed properties in this county. |
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