Designated Parking Area
The parking lot at the corner of Martin St and Garner St is the designated starting point for the tour.
Locomotive Selfie Spot
The pavers in the pedestrian walkway portion of Garner St are in the form of the frontal view of a locomotive. This creates a unique opportunity to capture the locomotive image in the background of selfies taken here.
200 Main Street - Humphrey Hughes Rexall Drug Store
This is the second drug store building, which was the Burton-Wise Drug Store, built ca. 1908. The store stayed in the Burton-Bradford family until 1975. Mr. Walton Hughes rented the building in 1925 and was in business until 1972. This is also the location of the first telephone switchboard for the city of Madison.
202 Main Street
202-204 Main Street, Noble Passage Interiors & GiftsPart of the Noble Passage business in the red brick portion that had been the James Henry Cainstore is the old address of 202 Main Street. The white structure to its left is the old seperate 204 MainStreet address. The 202 Main building also served to house the Madison County Record newspaper business for a time when the J. H. Cain sign was covered over and before the Somerset group sign was put up while that business operated in the building. However, there were many other businesses that operated from this location in the 1900s. Joseph Eugene Collier had a store here for a time, as did Henry Pillow. Also, Ms. Mable Patterson had a dress shop at 202 Main.The early newspaper advertising of the bank claimed that it was “unrobbable” due to having the latest state of art time locks by Mosler on the main vault and that it was protected by the Pinkerton detective agency. However, it was in fact robbed. Gladys True wrote of the event in her book “Reflections of Madison, 1869–1999”,The old bank vault and its inner safes are still in place, but the larger volume of the vault has been used as a storage room for some time. Still, sometimes one can see inside if they ask nicely at Noble Passage Interiors.
204 Main Street
202-204 Main Street, Noble Passage Interiors & GiftsPart of the Noble Passage business in the red brick portion that had been the James Henry Cainstore is the old address of 202 Main Street. The white structure to its left is the old seperate 204 MainStreet address. The 202 Main building also served to house the Madison County Record newspaper business for a time when the J. H. Cain sign was covered over and before the Somerset group sign was put up while that business operated in the building. However, there were many other businesses that operated from this location in the 1900s. Joseph Eugene Collier had a store here for a time, as did Henry Pillow. Also, Ms. Mable Patterson had a dress shop at 202 Main.The early newspaper advertising of the bank claimed that it was “unrobbable” due to having the latest state of art time locks by Mosler on the main vault and that it was protected by the Pinkerton detective agency. However, it was in fact robbed. Gladys True wrote of the event in her book “Reflections of madison, 1869–1999”,The old bank vault and its inner safes are still in place, but the larger volume of the vault has been used as a storage room for some time. Still, sometimes one can see inside if they ask nicely at Noble Passage Interiors.
208 Main Street
Frank G. Hertzler, son of Dr. John Hertzler, operated a hardware store at this 208 Main Street site in partnership with Matthew Harvey Anderson, the banker who lived at 17 Front Street. Frank built and resided in the house at 25 Front Street. The original store structure here was destroyed in the 1912 fire, and the tax office records of the county show that the current building was constructed in 1940. A couple of years after Robert Edgar (“Pud”) True and his wife Gladys McFarlen True moved to Madison, they bought the building and operated a grocery store from 1944 to 1976. In fact, during their first three months in Madison, the True's rented a room in the former residence of Frank Hertzler at 25 Front Street. For a time this building was also operated as an annex to the post office.when the post office was located next door in the 206 Main Street location. According to the 1890 Hartford Insurance Company map of Madison, an early structure at 210 Main was the office of Dr. Richard M. Fletcher. A later use of the location according to the 1905 Alabama Mercantile Book was the drugstore of Pride & Bradford. Thomas Logan Bradford was only 35 years old when he committed suicide by taking an overdose of morphine from this drugstore. He had married Fannie Burton, a daughter of John Mullins Burton, who owned the competing drugstore at the 216 Main location. The Bradfords had bought the house at 306 Church Street in 1906 and had a daughter born there. Thomas had been employed by his father-in-law for a while, but resigned to go into partnership in the store at 210 Main by about 1904. His suicide note mentioned failing health and business losses.After the passing of Tom Bradford, there are indications the drug store reopened as the Phoenix Drugstore. However, it may have also been the name for the rebuilt store after the fire of 1912 heavily damaged the structure. Tom's wife Fannie moved into her father's house at 21 Front Street and wrote a weekly column about Madison for the Huntsville newspaper for the remainder of her life.A vintage comic book business utilized the 208 building in the 1990s, but it was later renovated by Walt and Larry Anderson to become the Bandito Burrito restaurant. The restaurant occupied not only 208 Main, but it later included the location at 210 Main Street. The Madison Drug Company was established at 210 Main by Dr. Luther Wikle and his partner Ben Porter in 1912. It may then have been given the name of the Phoenix Drugstore. Wikle later sold his interest to William Russell, a son of the constable of that name who also ran the gristmill for which Mill Road is named. Since 2015 208 and 210 Main have been occupied by Old Black Bear Brewing. Old Black Bear is a favorite hangout for locals and guests. Often on Friday nights during the summer there is live music on the patio to the east of 210 Main.
210 Main Street
208 & 210 Main Street–Hertzler Hardware, True Grocery, Bandito BurritoFrank G. Hertzler, son of Dr. John Hertzler, operated a hardware store at this 208 Main Street site in partnership with Matthew Harvey Anderson, the banker who lived at 17 Front Street. Frank built and resided in the house at 25 Front Street. The original store structure here was destroyed in the 1912 fire, and the tax office records of the county show that the current building was constructed in 1940. A couple of years after Robert Edgar (“Pud”) True and his wife Gladys McFarlen True moved to madison, they bought the building and operated a grocery store in it for over 30 years, from 1944 to1976. In fact, during their first three months in Madison, the True's rented a room in the former residence of Frank Hertzler at 25 Front Street. They built a house in 1941 that was then in the county, just outside the town limits, at 318 Church Street. They moved into their new residence on January 1, 1942, and became leaders in the community and in the Methodist Church on Church Street for the rest of their lives. After Pud died, Gladys donated funds for the electronic chimes in the church that still sound throughout the historical district of Madison. For a time this building was also operated as an annex to the post office. when the post office was located next door in the 206 Main Street location. According to the 1890 Hartford Insurance Company map of Madison, an early structure at 210 Main was the office of Dr. Richard M. Fletcher. Later use of the location according to the 1905 AlabamaMercantile Book was the drugstore of Pride & Bradford. Thomas Logan Bradford was only 35 years old when he committed suicide by taking an overdose of morphine from this drugstore. He had married Fannie Burton, a daughter of John Mullins Burton, who owned the competing drugstore at the216 Main location. The Bradfords had bought the house at 306 Church Street in 1906 and had a daughter born there. Thomas had been employed by his father-in-law for a while but resigned to go into partnership in the store at 210 Main by about 1904. His suicide note mentioned failing health and business losses. There have been some indications that this drugstore was called the PhoenixDrugstore, possibly a name given it after Tom Bradford's passing when his partner re-opened the business. That could also have been the name for the rebuilt store after the fire of 1912 heavily damaged the structure. Tom's wife Fannie moved into her father's house at21 Front Street and wrote a weekly column about Madison for the Huntsville newspaper for the remainder of her life.210 Main Street, Madison, Alabama–Bandito Burrito Restaurant Annex–Old Black Bear BreweryA vintage comic book business utilized the 208 building in the 1990s, but it was later renovated by Walt and Larry Anderson to become the Bandito Burrito restaurant. The restaurant occupied not only208 Main, but it later included the location at 210 Main Street. Both are now being converted to become part of the Old Black Bear Brewery. The Madison Drug Company was established at 210 Main by Dr. Luther Wikle and his partner BenPorter in 1912. It may then have been given the name of the Phoenix Drugstore. Wikle later sold his interest to William Russell, a son of the constable of that name who also ran the gristmill for whichMill Road is named. In 1903 Constable Russell was killed by a woman when he served repossession papers at her house in regard to unpaid furniture. The Russell Millon Mill Creek at the south end of today's Balch Road at Mill Road was also the scene of a tragic accident in which 13-year old Joe Lanierwas killed. Articles were published in the same issue of the newspaper, on the same day. It was a truly horrific accident and tragedy in Madison
212 Main St.
212 Main Street, Western Auto-Hughes Hardware StoreThe 1890 Hartford Insurance Company map of Madison shows that a furniture store operated by George Washington Martin was located at the site that is now 212 Main. George was born in the madison area, on the northeastern foot of Rainbow Mountain, in 1820, so he would have been 70 years old when he operated the furniture store in 1890 beside the John Winston Burton drugstore building that was at what is now 214 & 216 Main. George Martin lived on a one-acre lot immediately south of Martin Street, behind the original Lots 12 and 13 that he bought from James Clemens by a title bond issued February 13, 1857. These lots were re-surveyed for James Clemens and for George Washington Martin on October 21, 1856, indicating that George recognized that the town would grow rapidly. He therefore became Madison's first lot owner as he implemented plans to move his store from the Triana–New Haven area into the new railroad town. He subsequently added purchases all of the lots on the south side of Martin Street, plus Lot 54 on the east side end of the original plat of the town portion south of the railroad. Lot 54 included the location of the later-built furniture store at 212 Main Street. Pictures of George Washington Martin and his wife Nancy Leeman Martin late in life, as collected by descendant Joe Allen Brewer (now deceased) of Madison. Some current residents of Madison recall 212 Main as being the Western Auto Store, but before that it was for a time the store of Joe Balch, Sr., and his wife Clara, who ran the business with Joe Balch, Jr., after the passing of Joe Sr. Also, an earlier owner was Joe Pruitt, who lived at 204 Church Street from1910. Joe Balch had a store at 212 Main Street for a number of years. He is on the left in this 1962 photo-op with candidate for governor of the state, Ryan DeGraffenreid. George Walton (“Doc”) Hughes and his wife SarahParham are at right. The Hughes drugstore was at 200 Main Street, but Doc was a popular former mayor of the town and owner of the building. This is the 212 building of more recent times. It was part of the Hughes Hardware business as a western Auto store. Lately it has become the location of the Black Bear Brewery.
214/216 Main St.
214-216 Main Street This building was the location of Hughes Hardware= Western Auto for some 50 years. The building was built in the early years of the 20th Century; as nearly as I know now, around1910. In its early years, it housed a general store and a funeral parlor. Later, a hardware store took over the space and operated after World War I and into the Great Depression, when, under the strain of the time, went bankrupt. Our Grandfather, Walton (Doc) Hughes, remembering the shortage of and difficulty of getting hardware products after WW I, bought the building and the stock from the bankrupt estate. It was always family lore that the seller demanded payment for the purchase to be delivered to him in $5 bills. Why remains a mystery to this day. From the time of Hughes' purchase until after World War II, the hardware was closed, but if someone needed hardware, they could go to the Drug Store and Doc would unlock the hardware to accommodate customers. The second floor of the building, from the time of its construction, was an apartment house. Housing was scarce in that time, and evidently the apartments were well used. Their use as apartments continued until the early 1960's; indeed upstairs was my first home with my parents until we moved into a new home on Church Street in 1954. After my parents, Gene and Marion Hughes Anderson, returned to Madison after Dad's wartime service. in 1946, our Grandfather asked Dad if he would run the Hardware business temporarily, until he found another job. Dad agreed, and that temporary job lasted until Mother and Dad retired in 1999. Both my brother Walt and I worked there all through our Jr. High and High school years, and Walt joined Mon and Dad as a part of the Hughes Hardware-Western Auto business until our parents retirement.
113 Maple Street - Thorson - Haas Home
Built just after the turn-of-the-century, the Thorson home displays all of the features repeated in many Madison homes. The Roy W. Thorson family lived in the home for many years. They were farmers. The home is a one and one-half story with a hipped roof extending over the veranda which is supported by six Tuscan columns. The entrance has a transom and sidelights that extend to the transom. The large front windows feature a beautiful leaded glass design across the top.Ms. Joan Lynch Spruiell purchased the home in 1980. In 1981, she had the plumbing and electrical completely updated. Today, she and her husband, Scott Haas, live in the home.
Madison Cemetery - Old Section
The earliest grave denoted by an inscribed tombstone in the Old Section is that of Thomas B. Harris, with the death date given as October 5, 1869. Since the town was established in 1857, it is likely that the numerous unmarked grave depressions in the cemetery were for pioneers of the town who died before 1869, but the only known fact of a burial in the cemetery prior to 1869 is for Sarah Orrick Chilton Pickett, who is known to have expired on February 19, 1865. Her tombstone, however, has no dates on it.The “Old Section” of the Madison City Cemetery has two divisions within itself – there is a north portion (considered the “White” section) and a south portion (considered the “Black” portion). The divisions were made from the early days of the cemetery’s use, and today there is no longer a fence to divide the portions. However, there are still patterns of grave layouts in the north portion that indicate that there were small wagon roads through the cemetery, running north-south and east-west.Additionally, there is a watershed (drainage area) running east-west through the south portion. Some of the graves of the south portion are in fact located within the lowest parts of the watershed, while others go up the slopes on both sides. There are a few remaining trees and some undergrowth at the east end of the old section of the cemetery. Once there were trees and undergrowth all the way to the Hughes Road southern extension, but late in the year 2001 much of that was bulldozed away for development of an amusement and recreation center on the site. However, it should be noted that there have been some definite graves found beneath the undergrowth at the east end of the cemetery. There are no markers, and there is no way to be certain of how many graves went how far to the east of the cleared portions of the cemetery. One thing can be certain – however many graves are in the undergrowth, they contain the remains of the older residents and pioneers of Madison.
243 Mill Road - Clift Home
John Henry Clift was deeded 40 acres from the US government, which would now be Highway 72 and Clift Farms. John Thomas Clifts son, frank built the house at 243 Mill Road for the principal of the local school, in 1916. Once the principal moved out, Frank and his sister lived in the home with their parents. Frank’s parents passed and he and his sister couldn’t stay in the home anymore so they moved across the street. Furthermore, Jack, Lillian, and their oldest daughter Charlotte moved into the home after Jack Clift served in WWII. Jack was a Madison Town Commissioner from 1965 to 1969. Lillian was one of the founding members of the Madison Station Historical Preservation Society. The history of the Clift family in Madison goes back to 1850 with pioneer John Henry Clift. Maps and books published before the 1970s show a Clift family cemetery on the south side of Highway 72 between Balch Road and Wall-Triana Highway. That cemetery is not there now, Jack Clift had graves moved to Madison cemetery. The graves were moved to the new section of the Madison City Cemetery on the north side of Mill Road, gathering the family members into one cemetery. 243 Mill road is now owned by Jack’s grandson, who lives in the home with his wife and 2 daughters. Sadly, in 2019 the Clift Family lost Jack Clift at 101 years old. Jack Clift and the family have contributed significantly to the heritage of Madison throughout its generations in the area. Their influence has been felt in many ways as the town has matured in concert with the Clift family's presence. Today, Jack and Lillian’s children continue to provide civic leadership with roots that go back to times before Madison was founded.
318 Church Street - True Home
318 CHURCH STREET Caudis H. Tribble and Ozell Hereford were married in Madison County in 1924. Caudis Tribble was a vice-president of the historic bank on the bluff in Huntsville during the years before the Great Depression. He was for a few years a resident of New Hope after he married Ozell Hereford, who had been orphaned at a very young age in that area. During the Depression he quit the banking business and operated a garage in Madison, with the primary business of repairing flat tires, which was an important and necessary service in those times as well as during World War II.318 Church Street is recorded in the tax records as having been constructed in 1939. When Gladys McFarlen True and her husband "Pud" moved to Madison, the couples became close friends. After a year of renting rooms in a house on Front Street, Gladys wanted to live next door to Ozell, and the feeling was mutual. The Tribbles gave the Trues a deed to the corner lot beside them without a penny being paid.Still, Gladys and Pud paid their friends for the lot within a year. · They built 318 Church Street within a year and their house payment was $29.50 per month. The Trues owned and operated a grocery store at 208 Main (now Bandito Burrito) for over 30 years, remaining lifelong friends with the Tribbles. You may have noticed that the sidewalk ends two houses down from the True House. When the True and Tribble homes were constructed, these homes were outside the city limits and thus did not include sidewalks!
316 Church Street - Tribble House
Claudia H. Tribble and Ozell Hereford were married in Madison county in 1924. their house in Madison is recorded in tax records as having been constructed in 1939. When Gladys Mcfarlen True and her husband "Pud" moved to madison, the couples became close friends. After a year of renting rooms in a house on Front Street, Gladys wanted to live next door to Ozell, and this was a mutual decision. The tribbles gave the Trues' deed to the corner beside them without a penny being paid.
313 Church Street - Farley-Thornton-Goodson House
Miss Hessie started teaching first grade in Madison, and Lorinda studied music at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia until 1914. Lorinda would marry Herbert Lafayette Thorton on January 21, 1920, shortly after he returned home from serving in France during World War I. Their first daughter, Frances Farley, was born February 12, 1921 at Miss Hessie's home in Madison. Two other daughters were also born in Madison: Nancy Kate on March 16, 1923 and Lorinda Clark on October 24, 1924. In 1935 Herbert became a charter member of Alabama's new Highway Patrol.Although a life-long Presbyterian, Miss Hessie taught Sunday School in the Baptist Church. She was active in school, church and many civic organizations. She taught her forty-two consecutive years. She had a deep love for teaching and dreaded the day she would have to retire. That would never happen as she would suffer a stroke during the Christmas holidays and died on January 1, 1939. She is buried beside her husband Bruce in the Farley Family Cemetery. As a side note, following Miss Hessie, Mrs. Howard Hughes was appointed to replace her as the first grade teacher. She would hold that position for thirty-seven years. Combined, Miss Hessie and Mrs. Hughes taught first grade at Madison Elementary for 65 years!- Billie Goodson
308 Church Street - Farley-Strurdivant House
The house was built by J. Wesley Taylor of Mobile and sold to Mr. J. Pryor Farley on November 19, 1910. The Sturdivants bought the house on August 7, 1943 from Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Gatlin. The Sears and Roebuck home is in the Victorian style with a gable roof. The apex of the gables is carved fish scales and diamonds. The wrap-around porch has original gingerbread trim on engaged columns. The other columns were replaced with wrought iron and the original weatherboard was covered with asbestos singles. Mr. and Mrs. Claude "Tiny" Sturdivant had two sons, Claude L. Sturdivant, Jr. and James G. Sturdivant. Mr. Sturdivant was the son of the late Robert L. "Bob" Sturdivant who was mayor of Madison for a number of years. Mrs. Sturdivant is the daughter of the James C. Gormley who was a Depot agent and City Clerk.
307 Church Street
307 Church StreetThe lot at 307 Church Street was initially part of Dr. Isaac Fox Deloney's 1868 purchase from the James Clemens estate of 41 acres north of what is now College Street.307 Church Street was built in 1910 by Dea T. Thomas, this home is a Queen Anne Victorian-style home. There is a sleeping porch on the second-floor rear. The home has a full front porch and a central entry. This home has been added to in the rear. In the 1950s, the home was divided into three different apartments and later was restored to a single home by previous owners. Previous owners Gerald and Peggy Wheler purchased the home in 1986. Currently, 307 Church Street is owned by the Vaughn Family.
306 Church Street - Gillespie-McDermott
The Gillespie-Wikle home was built in 1987 by William H. Gillespie. Thomas Logan Bradford and his wife Fannie Burton moved into the home in 1906.Tom was a pharmacist working withhis future father-in-law, John Mullins Burton. In 1905 he bought another drugstore in Madisonin partnership with James Harvey Pride-- not the senior of that name (a state senator), but his grandson. Mrs. Ora Wikle, a Madison school teacher, lived in the home for approximately twenty years. She was the daughter-in-law of Dr. Luther L. Wikle, a Madison physician who lived across the street at 309 Church Street. Mrs. Wikle built an addition to the north side of the home and rented this as an apartment for a number of years.The home has had several owners over the years. Stephen and Brenda Hopkins purchased the homein 1982. They later sold it to Dale and JoAnn McDermott.In 1998, Mike and Nell McMinn purchased the home. They replaced the old kitchen with a new onealong with cosmetic touches through-out the home. They also added a white picket fence to the frontyard. Michael and Judy Andrewjeski most recently lived in this home but they have recently sold the home and moved.
303 Church Street - Riddle-Hughes-Sampieri House
303 Church StreetThe Walton- Hughes home was built in 1922 by Mr. Thomas J riddle for his son Harry. Harry and his father worked as bankers and live next door to each other. Both riddle families left the Madison area in the 1920s. In 1926 Mr. Walton Hughes bought the property. Mr. Hughes was the owner and pharmacist at the Humphrey Hughes drug company on Main Street for 50 years. The home is a Gothic structure with a bungalow porch. it is one of the two homes in the district where they Cupola on the top. today the home is owned by Mr. Carl Sampieri.
302 Church Street - Lewis - Wann - Powell Home
This historic home has recently been extensively and impressively restored, remodeled, and enlarged by Teddy and Rikki Powell. It originally was built by Arthur Holding Lewis, a son of Meriwether A. Lewis of Triana. Lewis descendants say that Meriwether owned three steamboats to carry cotton to market from his plantation. It is believed that beams from one of the salvaged river boats formed the foundation of this house. Arthur Lewis had a store at the 104 Main Street location that is now a parking lot. Arthur married Mattie Cartwright after a short, but strange, courtship, and their family includes ties to the local Humphrey and Spencer families, as well as ancestral lineage back to George Washington's grandfather. There are definite indications that this home was initially constructed by A. H. Lewis in 1873, possibly as a condition of getting Mattie to marry him.The Lewis home eventually was owned by Fred and Ora B. Wann. Fred worked as a clerk in the post office, while Ora was the postmaster for many years. To the right is an older photo of the house from the Historical Society files.
Madison Elementary School
The original structure was erected in 1936 on the previous site of Madison Training School, which was chartered on February 25, 1895 and was the second organized school in Madison. Upon its completion the school consisted of eleven classrooms, a banquet room, an auditorium, a gymnasium, and served as a high school. Madison became a junior high school in 1951 when it was decided that 10th, 11th, and 12th grades would go to Butler High School. The school operated a junior high until the 1971-72 school year when 10th grade was added due to overcrowding at Sparkman High School. Those students remained at Madison the following fall as Juniors and on December 7, 1972 grades nine through eleven at Madison were officially named Bob Jones High School. The charter class of 1974 held their graduating ceremonies in the new building and Madison became Madison Middle School, serving grades five through eight until 1980 when grade four was added. Madison Middle became Madison Elementary with the opening of Liberty Middle school in 1990 and served 2nd through 4th grade. On October 13, 1997 the Madison City Council voted to form an independent school system leading to more changes for Madison Elementary. During the summer of 1999 major renovations took place at Madison. classrooms, restrooms, and hallways were updated and the school took the form of what you see today. The original gym was converted into a new library media center, the old library was converted into classrooms, and in 2002 a new gym was completed. Currently Madison Elementary serves roughly 575 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade and is also home to Madison City Schools Learning Academy for elementary students.
205 Church Street
205 Church StreetThis home was built in 1917 by Douglas Broyles a merchant/salesman in the town. The home is in the bungalow style with what is called a foursquare floor plan, which is four rooms forming a square, with no hallway. The original home had one bedroom. Prior to the 1950s, two small rooms were added to the back. The home features 10-foot ceilings, one heart pine floor, and a rosette at the top corner of the window and doors. It has two fireplaces with a third said to be hidden behind the dining room’s built-in hutch and buffet. The home has been in the student family since the 1950s. It was home to Charles and Kim Sturdivant for several years. Charles is the son of Jim Sherman and grandson of Claude and Tiny Sturdivant who lived at 308 Church St.
203 Church Street
203 Church StreetThe Haney- Gillespie- Ellis home is one of the oldest homes on church street or in Madison for that matter. Built-in 1885 by Dr. Haney, a Madison physician, the home is an example of Victorian cottage architecture but it’s gingerbread decorations inside porches. Much of the original wood siding remains on the home as well as the original leaded glass windows on the front. Inside, items that are original include the heart pine floors, three fireplaces, and the decorative tile on the hearth which is believed to have been made in Italy during the Civil War. The home was occupied by the Hannah family until 1903. Thereafter, ownership of the home changed hands several times until 1928 when William and Laura Jane Gillespie bought the home. Mr. Gillespie was a superintendent of the Madison waterworks for many years. Several mayors and senators from this area say that they were taught by Miss Gillespie in the Madison school system. In 1993 comma after Miss Gillespie’s death, the Madison home was purchased by Jeff Ellis, who did the current restoration.
Madison United Methodist Church
Madison United Methodist Church is at 127 Church Street in Madison, Alabama. The church was organized in 1828. A deed was issued in 1837 to the ''Trustees of the Methodist Church in U.S. of America" by Rowland and Elizabeth Gooch and was recorded in 1838. The original structure was located at the crossroads of the present Old Madison Pike and Hughes Road intersection, also known as Riddle's Corner and the "Old Triana Road."The present site was purchased in 1873, and the church was rolled on logs to the present location. At that time, it was a single room frame building. In 1947, under the leadership of Rev. Thelmer Vaughn, the building was brick veneered and the first educational units were built, including the kitchen, dining room, pastor's study and Memorial Windows. This effort was completed in April 1948. Rev. S. Allen Balch, a native of Madison, held the official opening. The Dedication Service was held on Sunday, September 2, 1951, with Bishop Clare Purcell, who served the circuit from 1910-1913, leading the service.A second addition included classrooms, a kitchen and a fellowship hall. It was completed in 1964 under the leadership of Rev. Howard Collins. In 1987, under the leadership of Rev. Joe Estes, the vestibule was remodeled including a new floor, doors and steps. On the north side, a ramp was installed where the old entrance was located.About 56 pastors have served the church from Alexander Little Page Green in 1828 to our present pastor (at the time of this writing), Rev. Bobby Ray Halbrooks, who came to the church from St. Luke United Methodist Church in Decatur, Alabama in 1996.The following statement was made by one of the pastors to the Quarterly Conference:"No better people can be found anywhere than those of the Madison United Methodist Church."And this still applies today.Contributed by: Percy KeelChurch HistorianToday, Dr. Travis Wilson serves as the pastor for this congregation.
15 Arnett Street - Murch House
15 Arnett James Henry Cain built this home in the California bungalow style in 1931. It was a twin home to the one across the street at 14 Arnett St. The Roy Stone family lived in his home for a few years. He was chairman of the County Commission. Later, John slaughter Cain and his wife, Lucille Wade Cain, who lived in the home with her two daughters until 1949. One daughter was married while the other daughter left for college. Mr. Kane passed away leaving Lucille to live in the home until 1981. During this time she often rented out rooms in the home. In 1981, Mr. Larry Stanley purchased a home. He lived in the home until it’s sold in 2002 to Miss. Colleen Cassidy, a local artist. Colleen made many improvements to the house exterior. She married Michael Murch. Now 15 Arnett Street is the Murch Family Home.
20 Arnett Street - Apperson House
The picturesque house sitting on almost two acres west of Wall-TrianaHighway (Sullivan Street) and south of Brown’s Ferry Road is a unique landmark in Madison. Due to its historic design, it looks older than it is. The more than 4700 square feet of the home comprised the last abode of Charles Apperson Jr., who had it built in 1988 and then passed away August 8, 2007, at age 84. Charles F. Apperson was Mayor of Madison from 1950 to 1957, and his father (Charles F. Apperson Sr.) served as a Madison Councilman 1936-1940. The senior Charles was born in Kansas in 1889. He married KathleenHumphrey of Madison in 1919. The father of Charles Sr. was James C.Apperson, who was born in Virginia in 1860. Both of James’ parents were also born in Virginia, but James’ wife Maria was born in West Virginia. Maria’s father was born in Maine, and her mother was born in Ireland. After Kansas and a stay of about a decade in Missouri, the family moved before1910 to Pulaski “Road” in Huntsville, where James owned a dairy and ice cream company. The Apperson Ice Cream Company in July of 1914brought suit and won a judgment of $50 against Fred Camper of the NewHope area. Fred was a son of madison resident Benjamin Franklin Camper. He may have had a great appetite for ice cream in what must have been a hot year. By 1920 the James Apperson family was living in the town of Madison. However, his son Charles was living on a farm with Kathleen closer to Triana in that year. The census record of 1920 gives the birthplace of Charles Sr. as Kentucky, but the censuses of 1900, 1910, and 1930 all say Kansas. There is no question about the birthplace of Charles Jr. as being Alabama since he was born in 1923, well after the family of Charles Sr. was established in the town of Madison. Charles Sr. was listed in the 1930census with an occupation of enameler, working in an electric stove factory. The Apperson family lived on Maple Street in 1930 Madison. Next door to them was the African-American household of Frank Brandon and his wife Martha. Frank was listed as an undertaker in a funeral home, which may well, have been a part of their house. That could represent quite a change for Charles Apperson Jr., living next door to a funeral home at age 7, and maturing to reside in the impressive house along Sullivan Street in later life. When Charles Jr. died last year, he was survived by siblings James C.Apperson of Madison, Naneen Apperson Williams of madison, DoraApperson Tuck of Harvest, and Betty Apperson Alston of Searcy, Arkansas. Charles’ wife Ruth passed away before him. His life story is somewhat preserved by an interview conducted in his home several years ago and now incorporated with that of his sister Naneen (and others) on the Oral HistorySeries CD-ROM offered by the Madison Station Historical Society. The interior of the house at Sullivan Street and Brown’s Ferry Road reflected Charles's passion for Alabama football and his lifelong dedication to the madison United Methodist Church. Additionally, he was an active member of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, and he loved to collect and refurbish antiques, which filled his home. A great man of Madison departed from the city last year, but his remains rest in the Madison City Cemetery along Mill Road.
Buttermilk Alley
Most of the land for Buttermilk Alley was deeded to the city by the Clay family with the stipulation that it be named "Clay Street." Later it was called "Hobson Street" before the name "Buttermilk Alley" became widely used.Mrs. Annie Mae Humphrey Drake always told a story about this little alley in Madison. Her mother, Mrs. William Benford Humphrey, used to give milk and bread to the train hobos during the depression years of the 1930s and early 1940s. The story has remained and in 1986, the city of Madison erected an official street sign, "Buttermilk Alley."Betty Lou Taylor Benson, former City Clerk-Treasurer for the city, tells the following stories:During the courting stages of every teenager in the 1950s, Buttermilk Alley was a safe place at twilight for sweethearts to take a walk and hold hands. Mrs. Katie, a lady who worked for Dr. James Allen Kyser on Front Street, would be sitting on her porch and " she kept an eye out for the children." The children and the parents felt secure in the knowledge that their children were A-OK.The alleyway was a good place for bike riding (no cars) during the day and was the site of a fun hay ride for Billy Nolan Drake's birthday party in the late 1940s. On that day, a special wagon with ponies wearing Mexican hats delighted all in attendance. Billy Nolan's mother, Willie Kate Williams Drake, served ice cream in the form of orange pumpkins which some children had never seen before.Buttermilk Alley was, and still is, a quiet, little alley for a short, peaceful walk. Although an occasional car is seen in the alley, it is still a great place for children of all ages to enjoy and savor the small town atmosphere of the City.
19 Front Street
19 FRONT STREETThis mansion was built by James Edward Williams at 19 Front Street in the historic original downtown part of Madison. The impressive multi-story home with wrap-around porches on two levels proudly graces the Front Street line of old houses reflecting the glory of Madison in the early 1900s. The back wing of this house was built around 1869 by William B. Dunn, Madison’s first railroad depot agent, who was also a physician. Dunn was a brother of Jackie Dunn Wiggins, who lived on a plantation east of today’s jetplex. The two-story part of the house was constructed by Jim and Mattie Whitworth Williams around 1904, incorporating Dunn’s house as part of the dwelling, which makes it probably the oldest house standing within the historic town limits of Madison. The home was purchased and saved from decay by Chris and Lynn Crumbley in January of 2011. They have restored the structure to its former glory, making interior improvements that considerably added to its modern functionality and decor while retaining the historical features.
17 Front Street
The house is located on original Lots 23 and 24, including possibly part of Lot 22 in the yard. Lot 24 was first purchased from James Clemens by carpenter Edmund “Ned” Martin on 5 March 1860, just about three months before Clemens’ death and about a year before the start of the Civil War and the associated Emancipation Proclamation. It was the last lot sold by Clemens himself. Edmund was a “free man of color” per deed records and the 1860 census. That census showed that Edmund was thirty years old, had a wife named Sarah at age forty-five and a daughter named Lucinda at age nine, all born in Alabama. They were enumerated in a complex of free black households clustered around the house of blacksmith William T. Dunnivant, who lived next door to Theodorick Clay. Clay lived on today's Front Street at the west side of Buttermilk Alley. Additional data in the Madison County deeds show that Edmund Martin was born in Morgan County. He was living in Valhermosa Springs of Morgan County at the time of the 1870 census.It may be that events related to the Civil War led to Edmund Martin abandoning Lot 24 or otherwise leaving Madison. The fact is that after the Reconstruction-era chancery court’s handling of the Clemens estate in 1868, physician and depot agent William Dunn sold Lot 24 to Bettie Turner. She was noted as his “coloured” servant in Deed Book JJ, pages 455–6.Matthew Harvey Anderson purchased the lots in 1904. Harvey Anderson was one of the Directors of the Bank of Madison, founded in 1904. He also was a principal partner of Anderson–Bronaugh & Company as well as the Hertzler–Anderson Company. Both businesses were general stores, which sold groceries and other merchandise, according to the 1905 Alabama Merchantile book listings. Harvey and his wife, Annie Hertzler Anderson, were both from Ohio with Pennsylvania roots. In fact, Annie’s father, Dr. John Hertzler, also came to Madison from Ohio after the Civil War. Annie's brother, Frank Hertzler, later built and lived in the house at 25 Front Street.After constructing a large house on the lot along Front Street, the Andersons sold it by 1926 to Dr. James Allen Kyser. Dr. Kyser was recognized by the U.S. government for helping to bring the 1918–9 flu epidemic under control in north Alabama. The Kyser family lived in the house for nearly fifty years, and then it was purchased by Billy J. and Nancy Jane Jones of Huntsville. In 1997, the collapsing and abandoned old house was purchased at auction by Tony and Cindy Sensenberger. They lovingly restored and expanded it, keeping as much of the original structure as possible. Today the house has surpassed even its former glory.
Ice House
Alda Florence (“Tiny”) Gormley Sturdivant's father James C. Gormley was the city clerk and railroad depot agent who about 1914 built the "ice house" -- a concrete structure beside the Roundhouse Replica on Front Street. At that time, the original Roundhouse still stood over the city’s cistern on Main Street and the railroad depot was in the location of the Roundhouse Replica. Actually, James built the concrete structure to sell vegetables and other produce to train passengers through the large window on its south side. However, soon the structure was used to store ice brought to town by the railroad to sell to Madison residents in the summer. In winter the "ice house" was used to store coal delivered by the railroad for sale to area residents. It must have been challenging to keep the coal dust off the ice as the seasons changed. In more recent years, the city has stored chemicals and old paper records plus various mechanical components in the structure, so it is kept locked and now is the residence of many spiders.
Madison Station Roundhouse
This building is a replica of Madison's first city hall and is constructed on the original site of the Madison Depot. The original was built in the late 1800s while Capt. John Buchanan Floyd, a Confederate veteran was mayor. "The Roundhouse" served as the official city hall for town meetings, elections, and town activities such as weddings, hair cutting (when the barber made his weekly visit), and frequent card games. The original "Roundhouse" was dismantled in approximately 1938. The foundation is still visible in downtown Madison on the south side of the railroad tracks near Main Street Cafe.Plans for this replica began in 1968 while E.O. Baston was mayor to commemorate Madison's Centennial in 1969. This Replica was constructed on September 21, 1986 at the annual street festival by developer John Hathaway and The Wild Boys Land & Cattle Company and community volunteers. Burwell L. "Sonny" Wilbanks was mayor.
Historical Marker: Affair at Madison Station
May 17, 1864 The largest engagement of the Civil War in Madison County was fought during a driving rainstorm here at the site of the railroad depot. Under the command of Col. Josiah Patterson, the Confederate forces (~1000 cavalry and a battery of artillery) crossed the Tennessee River near Triana and attacked a garrison of ~350 men of the 13th Illinois Infantry. Union forces fell back along the railroad toward Huntsville to Indian Creek. They counterattacked after being reinforced by infantry from Huntsville. Confederates were forced back across the river after burning equipment and cotton at the depot. Casualties were light on both sides.Confederate reports are sparse from those last months of the war, but there are numerous documents of the engagement preserved in Union accounts. The most descriptive Union reports were filed by Colonel Gorgas of the 13th Illinois Infantry. He first told that a cavalry force of about 1,000 with four artillery pieces attacked on May 17 about 8 o'clock in the morning. When General John Smith reported the engagement a day later, he stated that Madison Station had been attacked at 8 a.m. from all directions by a large force, numbering about 1,000 to 3,000 men with four pieces of artillery. Gorgas recounted that “...we were obliged to fall back, after a severe fight, and, being completely surrounded, we cut our way through their lines, and fell back to the bridge and water tank, about three miles east. We formed and returned to this place (Madison), and, after skirmishing, drove them from the town. They captured several of our men, what number we are not able to say. Our camp and garrison equipage, together with all the regimental and company papers, are either destroyed or carried off. The depot buildings are burned, together with about 50 bales of cotton. (He said 70 bales in a later report.) The railroad is all right, telegraph lines cut. We are left here without rations, and but little ammunition.”A much more detailed account of the engagement was filed by Gorgas a day or so later. In it, he specified that the artillery consisted of “four 12-pounder howitzers”. He wrote that the attacking force was under the command of Colonel Josiah Patterson and included “two regiments of mounted infantry”. He blamed the successful surprise upon local citizens guiding the rebels to the locations of his five pickets, who were then overwhelmed before they could sound the alarm. In fact, subsequently the Union occupiers arrested Madison residents Dr. Richard Matthew Fletcher, Edward Betts, and James Harvey Pride. They were taken into Huntsville to be tried and hanged as spies for complicity in the event. After a gallows was constructed, a recently-transferred and remotely-located but friendly senior Union officer who knew that Dr. Fletcher had compassionately treated Federal soldiers during the occupation years came to Huntsville and had the men released.
25 Front Street
25 FRONT STREET, Hertzler–Vaughn HouseLot 14 was purchased from James Clemens via the same deed as Lot 15 by Thomas Clay, acting as trustee for his wife and children. Today the home on this site is owned by Dennis and Joyce Vaughn, who moved into the house in 1983. The house was built by Frank Garber Hertzler, a son of Dr. JohnHertzler, who came here from Ohio after the Civil War. Frank and Dr. John Hertzler both owned farms on what is today's Redstone Arsenal, but Frank also owned a store on Main Street in Madison, as well as investing in real estate in the town in partnership with this brother-in-law Matthew Harvey Anderson. John Hertzler likewise owned a large house in Madison on Church Street plus another large house on his arsenal land, along with a unique barn there that gained widespread attention in the area. In 1887 Frank Hertzler married Marietta Sullivan, a daughter of Dr. George Richard Sullivan, for whom Sullivan Street was named in Madison. Dr. Sullivan lived at 23 Front Street from 1868 to 1891, so that probably influenced Frank's purchase of the lot adjacent to where his bride-to-be was living. Historical Society publications state that Frank Hertzler constructed the house in 1905, but he may have resided on the lot before 1900 in an earlier dwelling since he is listed in the census of 1900 among families known to have lived along Front Street. Historical Society publications also state that the"Collier family" lived in the house at 25 Front Street after Hertzler built it and that the Colliers sold it to Frank and Annie Mae Bronaugh Finney in the 1930s. It was reported in Historical Society publications that the Robbins family and the Kurtz family owned the house at 25 Front Street after the Finneys and before Dennis and Joyce, Vaughn bought it in 1983. Joyce has sadly passed away, but Dennis still lives in the house.
Madison Veterans Memorial Park
The Veterans Memorial Park is located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Church and Front Streets. The park was designed and constructed by Madison American Legion Post 229 in the spring and summer of 2001.The park is dedicated to Jesse Ollie Wikle, Jr., who was the first Madison man to lose his life in World War II and to the members of the United States Military from the city of Madison who lost their lives during the wars of the 20th century. Captain Wikle was a "Flying Fortress" (Boeing B-1 7) pilot, who named his aircraft "The Flaming Maymie" in honor of his red-headed Madison girlfriend, Maymie Louise Dublin. He was shot down and killed over Tunisia.The flag pole was refurbished and relocated from its former location next to the old city hall on Main Street. Likewise, the monument was moved from its location on Main Street to its present location in the park.Water and electrical services were installed underground and the park was delineated by planting a hedge around it. A flower bed was constructed of landscaping bricks and is formed in the shape of a heart. The heart shape is symbolic of the Purple Heart Award presented to service men and women wounded or killed in combat operations.There is a small plaque for each of the fifteen service men from Madison who gave their lives in our 20th century wars. Both the flag pole and the Purple Heart flower bed are illuminated during the hours of darkness.The Veterans Memorial Park was dedicated on the 21st of September 2001, only days after theUnited States found itself in a new kind of war it had never known - a war with terrorists.
101 Main Street - Main Street Cafe
This structure was erected in 1954-5 as a multi-function third City Hall. The first City Hall was the original Roundhouse. The second was a two-story wooden building located at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Garner and Martin Streets, where Merchant George Washington Wise's, who was a son-in-law of Madison's first merchant George Washinton Martin, house had been.Since the early 1990s Madison has enjoyed a modern fourth City Hall on Hughes Road.101 Main Street housed the third city jail plus an all-weather parking place for the first city fire truck in the middle. City offices were on the west end and the jail cells were on the east end. The facility at 101 Main Street is operated by owner Cindy Sensenberger as a restaurant, with an outdoor pavilion and inside seating, including two of the 1950s jail cells. Immediately east of the outdoor seating is a concrete pad with a small pyramid-type block on it. That is a cover over the original city water supply, a cistern. The pyramid held a hand pump for watering horses and people, as well as fighting fires in the town. This was the site of the original Roundhouse, built over the cistern in 1898 and torn down about 1936." It is hugely popular with many dishes favored by local residents. Recently, this restaurant began opening for dinner on selected days.
12 Main Street - Whitworth-Strong House
The house at 12 Main stands on Lot 2 of the original town plat of James Clemens' land that became the City of Madison. Lot 2 was first purchased at the October 5, 1868, Clemens estate auction by Hamilton G. Bradford. The property changed hands many times until Seymour and Indiana Doolittle built their home here. They also purchased in an 1876 auction the adjacent Lot 1, which had been bought at the 1868 auction by John J. “Studdivant” (Sturdivant) of Limestone County. The Doolittles likewise purchased Lots 3 and 4 that had initially been purchased by Theodorick S. Clay, a brother of Thomas J. Clay and Andrew Clay, all of whom appear in the history of Madison. Andrew died in the Civil War while his family lived in Limestone County in the Shoal Ford area. However, Andrew's widow Sarah Russell Webb Clay moved into Madison and ended up purchasing Lots 7, 8, 9, and 10 by 1869. Theodorick and his wife Jane purchased Lots 17 and 18 for their house across the tracks near Thomas J. Clay.Sarah Russell had married Robertson Webb, a man 41 years her senior. In the 1850 census she was 24, and he was 65. They had several children together in addition to being guardians of the three Clay brothers, who were children of Robertson's sister (or daughter?) Nancy Webb Clay. After Robertson passed away, Sarah married Andrew Clay, one of the matured children that she and Robertson had raised, but who was still closer to Sarah's age. More of Sarah's story is told in relation to the Clay House at 16 Main Street.
16 Main Street
Clay House was the home of Sarah A. Clay, widow of Andrew J. Clay a private in the Molly Walton Guard and casualty of the Civil War. Sarah was also the daughter in law of the first Mayor of Madison Thomas J. Clay. Sarah Clay was listed as a seamstress with one child in the 1870 census living in downtown Madison. Her son Wiley Webb was killed in the “battle of the Wilderness”. This House was originally a 2 story, 2 room federal style house, without a porch of any kind. The Bungalow style porch was added in the 1920’s when Dr. J. Ollie Wikle bought the house. Sarah Russell Clay, Civil War widow of Andrew Clay, was the first owner of Lot 7. However, she initially lived on the south half of Lot 7, later dwelling on Lot 9. The north “part” of Lot 7 was deeded by Sarah to Thomas and John Hopkins, grandsons of Alabama's second governor Thomas Bibb, acting as agents for a Protestant Episcopal Church. The deed stipulated that the property was to be used as a "Poor House" for widows and orphans of soldiers and other destitute persons. The occupations of subsequent owners indicate that the structure was used through the years not only for family residences, but also probably as Madison's first hotel, mortuary, hospital, museum of fine china, and art gallery.
104 Main Street
104 Main Street This building was reconstructed in the mid-1940s, following a fire that destroyed the store of Jim Williams. The fire was thought to have been started by the restaurant in the store building, which also housed the original Shelton barbershop. The site had also been the prior location of the store of Arthur H. Lewis, before Jim Williams purchased and expanded it. It now hosts Zion Gourmet Popcorn and is a favorite of those with a sweet tooth! The structure was previously the office of Billy Nolan Drake, a grandson of Jim Williams. This location was also part of the site of the Jim Williams' store that encompassed the parking lot along Wise Street as well.
106 Main Street
106 MAIN STREET, OPIE BALCH REALTYElbert and Opie Balch operate a realty company in this building now, also containing an office for their son, Matthew J. Balch, Attorney at Law. The present building had been constructed as a post office in 1928. It served that function until the early 1940s when it was moved to the Dea T. Thomas building at 206 Main Street. The building at 106 Main was then sold to Robert Shelton for his barber shop following the 1942 fire in Jim Williams' store building at 100 Main. Shelton's barbershop was operated by his son Hoyte Shelton after Robert retired. Hoyte lived at 114 Church Street and died in 1997. Then the building was inherited by Teresa Reed and Pat Whitworth, his nieces. For a while, the building was operated as a florist shop, then leased to Dana Burrows for her hair and nail salon business called Studio 106. In 2012 Studio 106 moved to 16 Main, perhaps in a sense losing only the“0” from the name. (Studio 106 at 106 Main with Shelton barber pole)106 Main Street, Madison, Alabama, September 2012
108 Main Street
108 Main Street currently houses Jacklyn's Keepsakes. The site is the former building that was the site of W. T. Garner's store in the 1890s. James "Jim" Bronaugh general merchandise store operated from this site circa 1910. By 1942, Mr. Douglas C. Broyes moved his business to this location after a fire at 104 Main Street destroyed his store.From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, 108 Main Street was the upscale Barbara's Dress Shoppe operated by Barbara Ann Hughes Spencer. After that, for a time it was an excellent portrait studio photography business, run by Gregg Young. Now it houses Jacklyn's specialty keepsakes and collectibles shop.
110 Main Street
Believed to be one of the oldest stores in Madison, the building was built circa 1859 and owned by Mr. George Washington Martin. Later, Mr. Hardage operated a saloon in the building which was one of two in Madison at that time. Sometime thereafter, Mr. Robert Parham Cain bought the building and opened and operated a grocery store. His son Mr. Robert Earl Cain continued in the mercantile business there.From MSHPS Nomination: 110 Main Street (1859) faces northwest. This two-story, painted brick commercial building is believed to be one of the oldest commercial structures in Madison Station. The front-gabled roof includes overhanging eaves with decorative brackets. The large upper story windows are six over six sash with true divided lights. The recessed front entrance has two large display windows and a sign band that runs the width of the entrance. The building now houses Madison Station Antiques.
