Madison's Treasures Tours

This app highlights the key points of interest for the wonderful town of Historic Madison, Indiana

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Madison's Treasures Tours

Madison, Indiana 47250, United States

Created By: Visit Madison, Inc.

Tour Information

Enjoy this free roam tour compiled and created by the Southwestern Junior High Eighth graders of Mrs. Katie Mathews class- 2018, along with the collaboration of Rhonda Deeg from Historic Madison, Inc. Other co-partners will include additonal points of interest as well as other unique walking tours to this site. Their names appear in the attribution line for each point submitted. Stay tuned for additional edits to the tour through the summer of 2018! Thanks for visiting Madison, Indiana.


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What You'll See on the Tour

ARCHITECTURE/LANDMARK The Lanier Mansion is a National Historic Landmark designed by notable local architect, Francis Costigan.   Recognized as a masterpiece of the Greek Revival style, this elegant house overlooking the Ohio River was bui... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/CULTURE   The African Methodist Episcopal Church, located here was built in 1850 and founded by a freedom seeker who settled in Madison in 1836. The importance of this church building in the early African American community ca... Read more
ARCHITECTURE   The Eagle Cotton Mill was built by Robert H. Rankin and James White in 1884, the company was the maker of sheeting and seamless bags and it employed over 400 employees during that time. It was used during WWII by Meese Inc w... Read more
Art The current fountain is a reproduction of the original, made of bronze and put in place in 1981. The original stood in the same place for almost 100 and was made of cast iron. It came to Madison from the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exp... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/ CULTURE Hinkles is the oldest restaurant in downtown Madison. Mr. Hinfred Hinkle was the man who started one of the most famous restaurants in downtown Madison Indiana, back in 1933. There used to be 2 Hinkles downtown, one wa... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/HISTORY The former Elks Building is one of the most historic buildings in Madison. It has been an Elks Lodge since 1899 and started extensive remodeling in 1999. In 2008 This building caught fire, nine fire crews were fighti... Read more
ARCHITECTURE The Brown Gymnasium is named after James Graham Brown (1881-1969). Brown made his fortune working for a Timber Industry in the South. He used his money to fund several ventures,  like The Brown Gymnasium and the Brown Ho... Read more
Culture The Ohio River streams westward and is the largest tributary to the Mississippi River. It has been one of the major modes of transportation for people and products to the Madison, IN region since 1809 when Madison was platted. This... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/CULTURE This Firehouse is the oldest active Firehouse in America. Completed in 1848, and constructed by local builder John Harington. It is a fine example of Greek Revival architecture and is in remarkable condition for its age... Read more
HISTORY Pizza Uncommon is a local pizzeria located in what was once known as Rogers Drug Store and later Rogers Corner. Rogers Drug store was founded by W.H. Rogers around 1847 and served as the primary drug center for the community. After ... Read more
Main street has significance in the sense that it was the major connection route East-West through the city of Madison since the towns inception. Formerly called Main Cross. Madison's Commercial mainstreet is over a mile in length (15 block... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/CULTURE The Madison Railroad Station, built in 1895 served passengers of the PCC & St. Louis Railroad until 1935 when passenger service was disconnected to Madison. Unlike early railroad properties that valued functionality... Read more
The founder of the Madison was Michael Garver in 1837. He later became governor of madison. He started a very important part in Madison today. He was a pro-democratic to voice for newly forming Republican Party.  
Culture The heritage trail connects to the beautiful downtown of Madison, Indiana with a steep inclining hill.It starts at the intersection of Vaughn Drive and Vernon street along the side of the big Ohio River. From there, the beautiful tr... Read more
ART On the backside of Shipley’s Tavern is a beautiful creation painted onto it. The centerpiece is of a steam boat, Revonah (Hanover spelled backwards) rolling down the Ohio River. 17 smaller circles are filled with historical events and... Read more
ARCHITECTURE The prominent Madison architect Francis Costigan built this townhouse for his family in 1850. Born in Washington D.C. in 1810, Costigan trained in Baltimore and was heavily influenced by New York architect Minard Lafever. Soon ... Read more
Architecture/Culture This brick building, located at 120 West Third St., is the late nineteenth century office and dispensary of Dr. William Davies Hutchings. This building contains most of the original equipment from Dr. Hutchings’ pract... Read more
CULTURE The Madison Regatta is the annual hydroplane boat race and festival that takes place in Madison each year around July 4th. A hydroplane is a powerboat designed for racing that skims the surface of the water and is capible of going o... Read more
ARCHITECTURE Crystal Beach was built in 1938 as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Both the pool and bath house are examples of Craftsman style architecture, popular at the time. Originally the p... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/ HISTORY The Ohio Theatre opened October 4, 1938, rebuilt in the location of the Little Grand Theatre that had burnt down the year prior. It is currently owned by the volunteer based non-profit group "Friends of the Ohio Theatr... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/ CULTURE The Broadway Hotel was founded in 1834, making it the oldest hotel & tavern in the state. During this time, the riverboat men stopped in here on their way to New Orleans. Jacob Smith, proprietor, paid careful atten... Read more
Architecture  
ARCHITECTURE Trinity United Methodist Church was built in 1873 with the combining of three local Methodist churches and is of Gothic Revival Style. The steeple has the tallest spire in the city of Madison, raising to 212 feet. The building ... Read more
CULTURE In  the 19th century, transportation by the horse and buggy was used as much as cars are used today. Back then people would complain about the struggle it would take for them to get into the carriage, therefore they invented the ho... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/ART The original bridge was built in 1928 and completed in 1929. This bridge, originally a toll bridge, served as a major connection between Indiana and Kentucky for over 80 years. In 2010, the bridge was deemed “functionally... Read more
ART,  CULTURE, ARCHITECTURE On Madison’s northwest side, West Fifth Street comes to an end at Springdale Cemetery, the cities, earliest, still active cemetery.  Springdale includes terraced, European-style family plots leading up Hangin... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/CULTURE Madision Presbyterian church was founded in 1815, but did not have an official pastor until 1824. The present sanctuary was built in 1846 in a style reminiscent of the early churches in New England. Including the land, ... Read more
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CULTURE The Indiana- Kentucky Electric power plant is located in the downtown Madison Indiana area. The power plant was built in the early 1950’s to provide electrical power to the Piketon, Ohio area. The power plant is sitting on 820 acr... Read more
CULTURE After having been colsed for over 30 years, Hatcher Hill Rd. re-opened on October 16, 2016 as a pedestrian and biking trail that leads from the US 421 area up to the Hilltop and follows along to connect to the Heritage Trail near... Read more
Landmark One of the four railroads was built west of the Alleghenies and is now part of the Louisville Division. All of these railroads span most of Madison. now a part of the Louisville Division of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and S... Read more
CULTURE The legion building in located at 707 jefferson St. downtown Madison Indiana. It is a building for veterans to socialize or be honored.   
Architecture/Culture In the late 1880's, the current Key West Shrimp house was one of Madison’s Button Factories. The Button Factory made buttons from mussels that were dredged from the Ohio River. Kids made pin-money by delivering the b... Read more
ART Eric Phagan, Bob Saueressig, Steve Bickis, and Kevin Carlson are the creators of this wonderful masterpiece. Eric Phagan says that this mural is suppose to look like an old postcard. He used sepia toned colors to make the mural look old... Read more
Culture Hanging Rock Hill, located along Highway 7, is one of Madison's winding roads that gives one access to the hilltop from the downtown area. As you turn on one of the curves, you will find a waterfall that is almost  40 feet tall and... Read more
ARCHITECTURE Built in 1835, the John T. Windle Memorial Auditorium is said to be the oldest existing public building in the city and one of the most notable examples of Greek Revival Architecture in the Midwest. This early example of Greek ... Read more
Architecture Jeremiah Sullivan was born in Rockingham County, Va. in 1794. In 1818, he erected a residence in Madison, Indiana, which is still standing, in good condition, and known as the Sullivan Home. While a member of the Indiana Legisl... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/LANDMARK The Shrewsbury-Windle House was built between the years 1846 and 1849 for Charles L. Shrewsbury, his wife Ellen Shrewsbury, and their children. Charles was originally from Virginia. The house is located at 301 West Fir... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/LOST In 1880’s there was a fantastic building built, called the The Madison Opera House that stood in this location. Before the Opera, the building was used as a church. In 1935, picture movies were so popular so they decided... Read more
Culture The first recorded Regatta started in 1911. Madison is home to the only community-owned powerboat in the world. Miss Madison, an H1 Unlimited hydroplane, was donated to Madison and won their first Regatta in 1971.The victory became ... Read more
CULTURE The Hunter House was built in 1842 and was used for many purposes through the years.In 1854, Mr.Whitehead, then current owner donated the property for the city’s fairgrounds, which held the first state fair.  In 1863 the fairgrou... Read more
Architecture The Masonic Lodge located at 219 E Main Street is one of the few Second Empire architectural styles in Madison constructed from 1871 to 1872 and is a example of mid to late nineteenth century commercial architecture. Of special... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/CULTURE The Broadway Livery Stable is now an event venue connected to the Historic Broadway Tavern and Inn. This building was Broadway Livery & Feed Stable and used to stable horses, carriages and repair wagons. It is one e... Read more
Architecture Hanover college is the oldest private college in the state oh Indiana.  Established in 1827, Hanover was founded by John Finley Crowe and is located in Hanover, Indiana on the cusp of what is called, " The Three River Bends of... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/CULTURE Jefferson County Public Library is the oldest public library in the state! Orignally founded by Alexander Meek in 1818 with a collection of donated books, the library moved around downtown Madison several times before f... Read more
Culture The Veterans Memorial Cemetery is dedicated to Veterans and their families as a lasting memorial, and final resting place, in appreciation and gratitude for their service.  
Culture Fairmount Cemetery is located on the famous Michigan Road and is the final resting place for many of Madison's historical figures. For example, William Hendricks, member of the Indiana Terrirorial House of Representatives 1813-181... Read more
Architecture/Culture The Jefferson County Courthouse is the third building to serve as Jefferson County's courthouse and is a example of Greek Revival architecture. Designed by David Dubach, architect of the Switzerland County Courthouse, a... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/CULTURE The Schroeder Saddletree Factory made over 250 styles of saddletrees, ranging from the leatherweight frames used in jockey saddles to the heavy, hide covered Western trees in cowboy saddles. The factory opened in 1878, ... Read more
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Culture Clifty Falls State Park was founded in 1920, when an increased interest in outdoor recreation led to the creation of many Federal, State, and civic parks across the nation. The land’s natural beauty, with its four waterfalls and a... Read more
ARCHITECTURE/ CULTURE To build the original St. Patrick’s church, Father Dupontavice traveled up and down the Madison Railroad collecting money for a church and parochial school to serve the Irish Laborers in North Madison who worked for ... Read more
ART Eric Phagan, local artist and owner of Gallery 115, at 115 East Main Street has lined this alley with many of his mural paintings.  Enjoy this art feature of Madison!
Culture Notice the three gold stars embedded in the concrete sidewalk in front of the Ohio Theatre.  Madison, IN was blessed with having Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacClaine and Dean Martin, film the movie, Some Came Running, downtown in this ... Read more
Architecture/Culture

 

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