Carnesville, the county seat of Franklin County, was incorporated as a village December 7, 1807. The city was named for Judge Thomas Peter Carnes, a lawyer and Congressman of the Revolutionary War era.

Cromer’s Mill Covered Bridge (also known as Nail’s Creek Bridge) is located in Carnesville, south of the city. The bridge was built in 1906 and is 136 feet long with a town lattice design.