Madison, Georgia is a Small Town with Big History

If you love the sweet scent of magnolia blossoms, a town square, and a hefty dose of southern hospitality, this is your town. 

Madison, Geogia. Population 4964.  

Madison started as a stagecoach stop and a planter residence in1809. The town itself was named after President James Madison, and the presidential fanboying doesn’t end there. Many of the streets in Madison were also thematically named after presidents. It’s a thing. 

Stagecoach Fun Fact: Stagecoach speed was around five miles per hour. That means a trip to Madison from Atlanta would have taken about 11 hours. That sounds like a Blue Highways bummer. 

Arriving in this little piece of paradise, the first things I noticed were the historic homes that line the street, and a coffee shop in an old Sinclair service station that brings back memories of ten-cents-a-gallon gas. Madison is a town that takes nostalgia, and its own history, seriously. 

Madison is a community rich with unique local shops, such as In High Cotton, which sells furniture, gifts, home décor and more. It’s a great town if you are looking for a special gift for someone or buying a few things for yourself. There are several antique stores around town as well. Be sure to check those out. 

Things seem simpler in Madison. The pace is slower. There are historic homes everywhere you look, and gardens that are especially beautiful this time of the year.  

People smile and speak as you pass. That still happens in Madison, and I like that. I’m that guy that still waves to people as I pass them on a backroad, so I fit right in. 

Another fun fact. Sherman spared this town from destruction because it was home of pro-Union senator Joshua Hill. 

High five to Mr. Hill. 

History buffs will find Heritage Hall, built in 1811, remodeled in the 1840s and moved, in one piece, in 1909 a fascinating stop. You can tour the home today and feel what life was like in 1811 when the Georgia economy relied on agriculture, cotton, tobacco, and rice crops. Rumor has it the house is heavily haunted, with the sound of children’s laughter sometimes heard upstairs.