This is the fourth in my series on True Towns featuring small towns that have maintained their identities and historic character.
Maintaining the historic identity of a place is seldom an easy task. The effort generally involves a spirit of cooperation, hard work, an understanding of architectural history and context, and a few lucky breaks.
In the case of Madison, Georgia, luck had a name: Joshua Hill. In November of 1864, the various wings of the Union Army under the command of General William T. Sherman, left Atlanta and headed southeast across Georgia toward Savannah. Having just set fire to much of Atlanta’s strategic infrastructure two days prior, Union troops would arrive in Madison on November 17.
In advance of their arrival, however, Madison resident Joshua Hill, who was a former U.S. Congressman and a Union sympathizer, went out to meet the officers with a plea to spare the town as much as possible. Because of his acquaintance with General Sherman and his stance against the war, the officers agreed, and very little of Madison was destroyed.
Because of that, almost 100 of Madison’s antebellum structures still stand and have been restored and maintained. The town’s National Register Historic District is one of the largest in the state.
In fact, Madison has long been considered one of the most beautiful and photogenic communities in the entire South. The Hunter House, circa 1885, is widely known as the most photographed house in all of Georgia.
Not to be outdone by that “youngster”, however, the much older neighbors stand along tree-lined streets, forming a dense and stunning collection of historic structures that are well worth a visit.
In fact, Madison’s annual Spring Tour of Homes is scheduled for May 16-17. If you are in the area, do yourself a favor and go. The tour is but one example of the strong community commitment to historic preservation.
And while you are there, if you’d like an insider’s guide to photographing some of the best streets in town, I featured Madison a couple of years ago on this page - with specific tips on what not to miss.
As we have already seen in profiles of other “True Towns” in this series, that commitment is one of the hallmarks of those towns whose sense of place is alive and well and very much intact.
In that regard, Madison, Georgia is one of the best.
Photos by Beth Yarbrough.
This is great news, and I am now anxious to visit this remarkable town. I live in Beaufort, and every time I walk through the historic areas, I am inspired and thankful that it was not burned down. I have never visited Madison, but it's now on my list.
For a full biography about Joshua Hill, who is mentioned in the story about Madison, see the new book, Joshua Hill of Madison, by Bradley R. Rice (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2025)