Madison-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce
2015 Town & CountryTour of Homes A publication of the Morgan County Citizen
November 26, 2015
NOVEMBER 26, 2015 Page 2
2015 Town & Country Holiday Tour of Homes
MORGAN COUNTY CITIZEN
MORGAN COUNTY CITIZEN
2015 Town & Country Holiday Tour of Homes
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2015 Town & Country Tour of Homes
About the Holiday Tour of Homes
Welcome 2 0 1 5 H O L I D AY T O U R O F H O M E S
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hank you for attending the 32nd Annual Town and Country Holiday Tour of Homes in beautiful historic Madison and Morgan County. On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, staff and tour volunteers, we are delighted to have you here! Voted “#1 Small Town in America” by Travel Holiday magazine, and listed in 2012 as one of the “Most Picturesque Villages in the World” by Budget Travel Magazine, Madison stands proudly as the second largest National Register Historic District in the state, featuring some of the best architecture in Georgia. It’s an honor for us to open our doors and kick off the holiday season with you. Madison has plenty to offer this holiday season – whether it’s delicious cuisine, great buys or breathtaking scenery. After the tour we invite you to come and experience downtown Madison. Offering the best in shopping, dining, art and galleries and special events, downtown is sure to have something to please everyone in your party. We should also like to invite you back to Madison for one of the many festivals and events that occur throughout the year. Madison is blessed with several distinctive bed and breakfasts whose unparalleled charm and southern hospitality will surely leave you satisfied, so be sure to plan to stay for a little while. Our homeowners have worked tirelessly for this tour and look forward to welcoming you into their homes. A special thank you is extended to them and to our volunteers for all their hard work and dedication throughout this wonderful time of year. Thank you again for visiting Madison and Morgan County. We hope to see you again soon! Sincerely, Ray Stapleton Chairman of the Board
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(This tour is not ADA handicap accessible and some walking is required) DAYTIME TOURS: DEC. 3, 4 & 5. 10:00-4:00 P.M. * Driving is required to see Rutledge Homes of Daytime Tour. Madison homes are within walking/driving distance of Tour Headquarters.
CANDLELIGHT TOURS: DEC. 4 & 5. 5:00-9:00 P.M. * Driving is required to see Rutledge Homes of Daytime Tour. Madison homes are within walking/driving distance of Tour Headquarters.
HOMES ON TOUR: DAYTIME 10-4 P.M. * Driving is required to see these homes. The Orr Cottage, 381 North Main St,. Madison. Friday/Saturday The Jones House, 505 Candler Lane, Madison. Thurs/Fri/Sat Broughton Hall, 411 Old Post Road, Madison. Thurs/Fri/Sat The Vaughan House, 1376 Veranda Park Dr., Madison. Thurs/Fri/Sat Whistle N’ Dixie Farm, 349 Dixie Avenue, Rutledge. Thurs/Fri/Sat Medford Log Cabin, 190 West Main St., Rutledge. Thurs/Fri/Sat
CANDLELIGHT TOUR: 5-9 P.M. * These homes are within walking/driving distance of Tour Headquarters. Heritage Hall, 277 South Main St., Madison. Fri/Sat Candlelight The Joshua Hill House, 485 Old Post Road, Madison. Fri/Sat Candlelight The Addison Key Bell House, 373 South Main St., Madison. Fri/Sat Candlelight The Hunt Loft, 193 West Jefferson St., Madison. Fri/Sat Candlelight The Massey Loft, 187 West Jefferson St., Madison. Fri/Sat Candlelight The Young-Whitcomb House, 805 Old Post Road, Madison. Fri/Sat Candlelight
OTHER ATTRACTIONS OPEN THURSDAY - SATURDAY 10:00 - 4:00 P.M. Madison Morgan Cultural Center Morgan County African American Museum Richter Cottage Madison Baptist Church First United Methodist Church Church of the Advent Madison Presbyterian Church
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The Jones House 505 CANDLER LANE
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uilt in 2000, this cottage has a Danish Christmas theme and features a variety of a festive decorations. The current owner is originally from Denmark, and she’s also the city’s ‘Mrs. Claus!” This house will be heavily decorated for Christmas, as the owners like to go “all out” during this time of year. Candler Lane is one of several close-knit, in-town neighborhoods that complement Madison’s heritage.
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Broughton Hall 4011 Old Post Road
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roughton Hall occupies a two-acre tract between Old Post Road and Academy Street. The high-style grand house has facades on both sides joined by a wide central hall. Records indicate that a house may have stood on this lot as early as 1836, but it is not certain whether that early structure was demolished or incorporated into the larger house as it emerged in the 1850s. The home takes its name from John A. Broughton, son of a prominent Madisonian and a merchant who operated a store on Madison’s square. Broughton apparently obtained the property from the estate of Reuben Mann in 1857 and owned the house until his death in 1880. It is likely, but not certain, that it was Broughton who adorned the house with the mid19th Century Victorian/Italianate style that is shared by the Academy Street façade of Boxwood to the north and the Stokes-McHenry House directly across Old Post Road. Broughton Hall remained in the family for another six decades, occupied by Broughton’s daughter and then by her daughter Dena Sanders Furlow. Perhaps out of remorse over her divorce from Henry Furlow, “Miss Dena” lived in the house for many years as a recluse wearing only black. Meanwhile, the house ran down, and the yard
became an overgrown jungle foreboding to the neighborhood children. In 1941, following Miss Dena’s death, the declining property was sold to Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Mason, who repaired the structure and reclaimed the landscaping. Their son and his wife continued the refurbishment turning Broughton Hall into “a thing of beauty inside and out” according to the memoirs of their across-the-street neighbor Hattie Mina Reid Hicky. Over the past twenty-five years, a series of owners, most notably the McWilliams family, has considerably enlarged and enhanced Broughton Hall while maintaining the historic spirit and character of the main part of the house. Current owners Pat and Jamie Flanagan are continuing that tradition. Their collection of antique English art and furniture, mostly from Yorkshire, is displayed throughout the house. Overall, the complex now boasts nearly 8,000 square feet of luxury living space including a large elegant dining room, six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, eight working fireplaces, and a three-car garage with a game room above. The landscaped grounds, which include a tennis court and swimming pool, are surrounded by a period-style iron fence..
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Vaughan House 1 3 7 6 V E R A N D A PA R K D R . , M A D I S O N , G A .
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hen I decided to build on the corner lot in veranda Park that my husband and I had purchased some years ago, I knew that I wanted a home that would use the corner setting with lots of porches. I also knew that I would go back to the same architect who had designed our beloved home earlier in Valley Farm, Eric Moser of Moser Design Group in Beaufort, SC. We sketched out a design that would look like it might have evolved over years even though it was a new construction. My next stroke of good fortune was my builder, Joey Daniel, who seemed to know what I wanted even before I did! Crystal Scott of Terra Bella Landscaping and I are having fun planning ongoing landscaping with more to come. The house is furnished with traditional pieces that my husband and I chose for the many homes we had lived in—and we love each one of them! The paintings are mostly watercolors by New England and Charleston artists. The pastel in the living room is by Jill Steinhaus who lives in Southern France, but has made visits to Madison to see dear friends.
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WhistleN’Dixie Farm 3 4 9 DI X I E AV E NU E , RU T L E DGE , GA.
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leisurely 9-mile drive from Madison to Rutledge follows the same route as the original Georgia Railroad that ran between Atlanta and Augusta beginning in the first half of the 1800’s. The railroad was a boon to the communities along its tracks but was also a powerful draw for the Confederate troops and was ultimately destroyed by Sherman’s troops as they marched to Savannah. The first homestead that you encounter as you enter the eastern city limits of Rutledge is the Whistle n’ Dixie Farm with an 1867 Central Hall Cottage style residence sitting on 17-acres of farmland. The home was originally constructed with the typical full-width equal sized front and back porches with a wide central hall leading from front to back and four identical rooms adjacent to the hallway. The kitchen and bathroom were outside behind the home. While the first recorded deed is dated 1867 there are clue’s that the house might have been a caretaker’s cottage on the Rutledge family plantation prior to the Civil War and, thus, was burned during the March to the Sea. Before the Civil War only land was deeded, not homes, and this house was deeded after the war to the same family that owned the deed to the land before the war. Stand on the front porch and look toward the railroad tracks on the other side of Dixie Hwy. You’ll notice that the house is situated crooked to the road, an indication that the residence was completed prior to the construction of the railroad in 1845 when Mr. Rut-
ledge’s daughter allowed the tracks to pass through the plantation. The Whistle n’ Dixie Farm derives its name from the sound of the train as it heads westward several times daily, blowing its whistle virtually in front of this Dixie Highway property. The blare of the whistle and the shaking of the house as the train rumbles by are two of the favorite features of the home to the residents. Although the house sits on stacks of stones that support hand-hewn beams, the vibration has not hurt the integrity of the construction in nearly 150 years. In the 1800’s cotton was grown on this land as it still is just down the road. It served for many years as a horse farm and now is used for hay production. In 1987 the residence was condemned after years of neglect and absentee ownership. A Rutledge resident who had lived in the home in the 1940’s rescued it and rebuilt it to be the quaint home it is now. The current owners updated it to more contemporary construction standards while retaining its unique charm. The larger barn was built in the 1980’s while the smaller one dates back to the early 1900’s. A former resident, born in the house in the 1920s, told the owners that her brothers slept in the upstairs loft which was accessed from a ladder in what is now the kitchen. That ladder had been discovered when putting new cabinets in the kitchen and is located behind the refrigerator, along with newspapers from the early 20th century, put there as insulation.
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Medford Log Cabin 1 9 0 We s t M a i n S t . , R u t l e d g e, G a . CIRCA 1936
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he cabin was built in 1936 as a playhouse for the Nolan children. It was constructed on site with logs cut from the family farm in Bostwick. The logs were covered in creosote (a wood preservative) before assembling. The cabin was used as a playhouse, but it was also a gathering place for the Nolan and Wallace family Christmas celebrations. In the 1950's, it was used primarily for parties, including a Sadie Hawkins Day party. This is a day in early November in which women take the lead on romantic matters. The cabin was purchased in 1989 by the Medford family. A small kitchen and bath were added/ as well as a loft. The original structure, as well as the beautiful wood burning ďŹ replace is all original. The cabin has been used for 79 years as a place to celebrate with family and friends. John and Shelly Medford Foy are the present owners.
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The Young-Whitcomb House 8 0 5 O L D P O S T R O A D, M A D I S O N , G A .
uilt in 1890 and originally located in Apalachee, a railroad town North of Madison, the Young’s farmhouse was purchased, cut into two sections and moved to Madison by the Tolhurst family in the late 1980’s. Since then, the house has passed hands on three occasions. Additions of a back porch, a bay window in the kitchen and a separate guest cottage situated in the backyard have been made. While serving at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Steve and Cathy Whitcomb purchased the house in 2007 and in September 2010, moved in permanently after retiring from a 40-year Army career. Under their ownership, several remodels have occurred. The kitchen, powder room and bathrooms have been customized to their liking. Additionally, extensive landscaping has freshened the yard to welcome guests whether people, birds or butterflies! You will discover the Whitcombs love all the wonderful sights, smells and sounds of Christmas, most especially, ‘decking the halls’. Outside the squirrels are still scampering, the birds are still chirping and the sounds of the holiday are filling the air. Their senses are reminded of the
country hometown feeling of Madison. Raised on a farm in rural Georgia, Cathy never remem bers her parents buying a tree or greens… 'We simply went to the woods armed with an axe!’ S whenever possible, they decorate with fresh pine, grape vine, holly and spruce gathered righ here from Morgan County. Their home is furnished with treasures and primitive antiques accumulated in the 28 move during Steve’s 40 years as a soldier. Multiple tours overseas and around America brought them a Jelly cupboard from Pennsylvania, a painted plate rack from Germany, a painted truck from Czechoslovakia, an assortment of kimschi pots from Korea and, of course, their always-growin collection of Santas. From their first, the ‘Berliner Santa’ purchased in Schweinfurt in 1973 to thei most recent Santa found here in Madison, each holds special memories of times together an Christmases apart. Please take the time to look at the many variations of shapes and sizes of tha jolly old fellow…and if you look with the wonder of a child, it might very well be that Saint Nic that takes you by surprise! Listen carefully….Ho, Ho, Ho!
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The Orr Cottage 3 8 1 North Ma i n S t., Mad iso n , G a.
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uilt in the 1880s, the Orr Cottage is an example of a Queen Anne cottage. At the time it was constructed Main Street was called the Road to Boone’s Bridge. The home was built by Mr. William J. Orr, probably as an investment property, due to its proximity to the railroad. Mr. Orr owned and operated a cotton plantation about three miles outside of Madison. The home originally had a porch spanning the front of the house, but this was removed in the 1950s and an expansion was added to the back of the home. Originally, the house likely consisted of four rooms and a central hallway. The outline of one of the original back doorways can be seen through the plaster in
the master bedroom wall. The playhouse in the backyard once belonged to the next door, but was relocated in later years and is now considered a historical structure, due to its age. The brick walkways in the back are made from old bricks found in the attic, likely those that once made up the two chimneys that were removed at some point in this home’s history. Many of the furnishings inside are family pieces that have been passed down to the young couple, as well as antiques and art they have collected. The couple is planning a renovation to the back of the home in the near future, working closely with the Historic Preservation Commission to ensure historical accuracy.
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December 3- 5 Day Tour • 10-4 pm Tour Headquarters 1. Orr Cottage, 381 North Main Street
Other Attractions open Thursday-Saturday A Madison First United Methodist Church B Madison Baptist Church C Madison Presbyterian Church D Church of the Advent E Madison Morgan Cultural Center F Morgan County African American Museum G Richter Cottage
(Friday and Saturday Only)
2. The Vaughan's, 1376 Veranda Park 3. The Jones', 505 Candler Lane 6 4. Broughton Hall, 411 Old Post Road U.S. 278 5. Heritage Hall, 277 S. Main Street 6. Whistle N' Dixie, 349 Dixie Avenue 7. Rutledge Methodist Church, 136 East Main Street o e T dg 8. Medford Log Cabin, 190 West Main Street tle u R Dixie Hwy.
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The Addison Key Bell House 3 7 3 S OU T H MAI N S T RE E T, MADI S ON, GA.
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n 1895, this Victorian cottage was built for the young Dr. Addison Key Bell. Details significant to Victorian cottage style were incorporated into the home, specifically the Victorian parquet ceilings in the foyer, living room, and dining room. The original Georgia heart pine wainscoting, trim, mantles and floors are prevalant throughout the home, including the front porch railings and exterior. It is believed the millwork for the home was made at Madison Variety Works, at the time, located only a few blocks away! In the fall of 1906, Dr. Addison Key Bell married Miss Mona Lyse Donnelson of McFall, Ala., the daughter of a noted and renowned surgeon. They had two children - Addison Key Bell, Jr. was born in 1907, and Caroline Rutledge Bell was born in 1908. Today, a framed photograph of Dr. Addison Key Bell hangs over the mirror in the front foyer. Extensive remodeling in the home was done between 2006 and 2008. Wes and Cissy Hanemayer purchased the home in 2013 and had the chimneys and roof restored. The Hanemayer's desire is, and always will be, to create a comfortable and cozy home for family and friends. Cissy says, "We want everyone to be able to place a drink, and put their feet where ever they choose, because that's exactly what we do! This is a home to really live in, and not peek into rooms from the other side of a rope!" Their furnishing are a collection of family pieces, many made by Cissy's Great Great Uncle Walter, and an eclectic mix of English, French, Dutch, and American primitive pieces.
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Fri. & elight andl C . t a S Tour
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The Hunt Loft 1 9 3 WE S T JE F F E RS ON STREET, M A D ISON, G A .
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he construction of Jefferson Square Parkside began in 2005 and continued through 2007 as part as the City of Madison's efforts to develop the area west of Main Street. This mixed use development anchors one side of Town Park and is an excellent example of in-fill construction within a historic district. In Hunt's opinion, an urban loft in a small community is a great lifestyle. Being able to walk to Downtown shops and restaurants is a real plus. Also, "the outside terrace was a must", says Hunt. The décor is vibrant and combines old with the new. The loft has an industrial, yet warm feel. Art from local artists is scattered throughout the space. Additionally, the 20-foot-tall book cases were totally custom to create an unparalleled statement effect for everyone who walks into the loft.
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Rutledge Holiday Market and Christmas Tour of Homes December 3-5, 2015
Celebrate the Holiday Season with the Rutledge Holiday Market to be held on December 4th and 5th. Come and shop with the many artisans and crafters and enjoy the entetainment Saturday from The Walton Co. Kids Stars in Motion performing at 11a.m. and 2p.m. Join us for all the Holiday activities in the Downtown City Park.
Handmade Gifts, Home Decor & Holiday Crafts
Come back on Sunday and have the kids’ pictures taken with Santa at Yesterday’s Cafe, 9:00am - 3:00pm
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The Massey Loft 1 8 7 WE S T JEFFERSON ST.
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aren and Gene Massey simply fell in love with Madison and made the decision to leave Decatur in the spring of 2013. They were longing to live in a real community with a strong sense of place. Loft living, combined with all Madison and Morgan County offer, is a dream come true. 187 W Jefferson Street was the last of the 7 lofts built as part of the redevelopment of the area. The space is large and open with large windows, skylights, and three sets of French doors leading to a terrace complete with a summer kitchen and wood burning fireplace. This couple shares a passion for collecting. Both contemporary art and antique decoys are feature points in the home.
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Heritage Hall 2 7 7 S OU T H MAI N S T RE E T, MADI S ON, GA.
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lthough the core of Heritage Hall apparently dates from the earliest days of Madison, the grand Greek Revival mansion we know today emerged in the 1830s after it was acquired by Dr. Elijah Evans Jones, one of Madison’s earliest physicians. The front entrance appears to have been based on illustrations from a popular builders’ manual of the period. An interesting feature of the façade is that the columns on either end are square while the four Doric columns in the center are round. Although Heritage Hall now stands as a landmark of South Main Street, it originally faced Central Avenue. Around 1909 the new owner Steve Turnell moved
the structure about 60 yards to the north and rotated it to make way for the new Methodist Church building. In 1923 Turnell began operating the house as the Travelers Inn, but it closed ten years later after a fire. Mrs. W. Fletcher Manley, Sr. purchased the house in 1946 and returned it to grace and elegance. The heavy interior woodwork is exquisite as are the period furnishings. Among the treasures that visitors may see are original window panes etched with the names of early residents. Mrs. Manley’s heir donated Heritage Hall to the Morgan County Historical Society in 1977, and the Society operates it as a house museum.
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Madison Presbyterian 382 SO UT H M A I N S T R E E T, M A D ISON, G A .
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adison Presbyterian Church’s first land purchase was recorded February 14, 1825. The property was on what is now Porter Street and sold January 17, 1842. This present Wester Tract was purchased by Francis McKinley, John G. Rivers and John Wingfield who acted as agents for the MPC. It cost the sum of $500. Daniel Killian, a skilled mason and a member of the church, constructed the sanctuary and was dedicated in 1842. The church is Greek Revival and in the style of Doric. The balcony was at one time designated for the slaves of the Church members until the time of the Civil War. The pews are the original with a partition that separated the men from the women. The cherry furniture in front of the pulpit is also original. Many distinguished worshippers have visited MPC. Alexander Stephens who later became Vice President of the Confederacy worshipped here. Reverend Wells, former minister, served as the Chaplain to Congress. Revered I.S. K. Axson supplied the pulpit here. He was the father of Ellen Axson, the first Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and they resided in the Boat House while living in Madison.
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First United B Methodist Church 38 8 A CA D EMY S T. , M A D I S O N, GA.
y the early 20th century the congregation of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, had outgrown its Gothic building on Academy Street. A successful building campaign led to the construction in 1914 of a fine new building unlike any of the more traditional churches in town. The Akron Plan, popularized by the First Methodist Church of that Ohio city, featured a central auditorium surrounded by rooms for Sunday school and other functions. The plan remained popular with churches of several Protestant denominations through the 1920s. This elegant Madison example features a classical Greek cross design with the sanctuary situated under a large dome with a smaller cupola-like dome on top of that. The Main Street and Central Avenue façades of the church incorporate Roman Tuscan columns supporting ornamented pediments with broad entablatures. The Greek crosses embedded at the points of the pediments reflect the shape and purpose of the building. The interior is equally dramatic.
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Madison Baptist 3 28 SO UTH MA I N S T R E E T, M A D ISO N, G A .
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n 1855, the white congregation moved into the red brick church located on Main Street. Originally, the Madison Baptist Church had no columns and an entirely dierent steeple. It was completed in 1858 without columns and later on, the columns were added. Union cavalry stabled their horses in the basement of this church while they occupied the town. The brick in the old part of the church were made at John Byne Walker’s brick plant and a stained glass window is dedicated to him.
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Church of the Advent 3 3 8 ACADEM Y ST., M AD ISON, G A .
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uilt in 1842, the Church of the Advent/Episcopal is constructed of slave-made bricks four courses thick. It sits on a foundation of heart of pine floor joists. It was a Methodist church from 1842 to about 1920. Other denominations used it briefly, but in 1959 it was given as a gift to the Episcopalians. Among the first vestry members was Joshua Hill, the U.S. senator and mayor of Madison, who is credited with negotiating the terms with General Sherman to spare Madison from the Union scorched earth policy. Several people in Madison gave their efforts to remodel the Church, and at the time the upstairs balcony was enlarged. It was again strengthened in 2004 to accommodate the new pipe organ. The organ was a gift from Eula Lee McDowell Griffin in honor of Michael McDowell, a world famous organist. The Church reopened in 1961 as the Church of the Advent/Episcopal. Each year the Church is decorated before first Advent, known as the “Greening of the Church.” One of the features of the decorations is the large Advent wreath, surrounded by four large candles and the white Christ candle in center.
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Richter Cottage 490 W. WA SH ING TO N S T R E E T • C i rca 1 8 3 0 ’s
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his simple cottage offers a glimpse into the way typical white tradesmen and their families lived in the years before the Civil War. Its restoration provides an instructive contrast to the larger, even grand, homes occupied by Madison's white middle class and elites. Charles W. Richter (1807-1884) and his wife and small daughter moved to Madison in the 1830's from the Island of St. Croix in the West Indies. Richter, son of a political exile from Germany, was a silversmith and watchmaker whose family continued to grow after he settled here. It is believed that the cottage was originally a one-room structure used as an office or workspace by a local tannery. The original rectangular structure had a chimney at each end and a gabled roof. Richter hired local builder Morrison Broadfield to enlarge and modify the building into a small but comfortable home with a wide central hall. The shed-room, probably added as Richter's shop when the house was remodeled, gives the cottage a saltbox appearance. The junction between main house and shed-room, visible from the ex-
terior, shows the lapped beaded weatherboarding of the original structure. The facade has a 6 over 6 paned window on either side of the Greek Revival entrance a single door with sidelights and transom. Architectural details such as beaded weatherboarding and foot-wide floorboards indicate the structure was built prior to 1835. Over the years, many Madison families claimed the cottage for their home. But by the 1970s the dwelling had been abandoned; its roof was open to the elements and its very existence was threatened. In 1979, Dr. Josephine Hart Brandon, educator and preservationist, and her 7th grade students inspired the community movement that rescued the cottage from near collapse. Today, Richter Cottage is owned by the city of Madison in cooperation with the Morgan County Landmark Society, which preserves the cottage and garden with antiques, accessories, and plantings appropriate to the antebellum days of the Richter family. The cottage is open to the public only on special occasions such as this tour.
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The Joshua Hill House 4 8 5 Ol d Pos t Roa d Ci rca 1 8 3 9
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oshua Hill and his wife Emily Reid Hill moved to Madison in 1849. There was a simple house, built in the 1830’s, already standing on the current site that was probably built by John Colbert. The Hills made minor changes to that house to make it their own. The original house was a two over two “Plantation Plain” house. That house was enlarged in the 1880’s to make it a four over four. Also at this time, a porch with square columns was added. The 1917 remodeling added a new roof above the old one, rebuilt the porch and changed the columns from square to round Tuscan style. A neoclassical side porch and the sun roof were added. There were also two outbuildings, a kitchen and Senator Hill’s law office. During the 1917 construction phase, those two buildings were attached to the house. Senator Hill’s law office became a first floor bedroom and the kitchen remained a kitchen. Also a sleeping porch was added to make hot Georgia nights more bearable. The guest house in the back was built before 1900, originally it was a small barn, later a garage. At some point, it was converted again and occupied as a servant’s cottage. There seems to be no pictures of the house
before the 1917 remodeling which transformed the home into a Neoclassical Revival Style. The Joshua Hill House is rare in that it sits on an entire city block. Today the field adjacent to the home is planted in pecan trees, which were a 20th century addition. In the very early 19th century, all of this property was part of the Town Commons, the racetrack/muster field area. Later in the century when this home was built, the property was fenced. There would probably have been a vegetable and fruit garden near the house and domestic animals in the yard. There were various outbuildings including a kitchen, law office, small barn for animals and various sheds for tools and equipment. The 1921 Sanborne Map shows a Cotton Warehouse sitting behind the home. Today Steve and Linda Huggins have carefully taken the entire property into the 21st century, completely renovating and enlarging the house, and adding a pool, gazebo and potting shed, plus updating all of the landscape. This house was the home of Senator Joshua Hill, “the man who saved Madison”, making it one of the most historic homes in
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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 Page 36
2015 Town & Country Tour of Homes
MORGAN COUNTY CITIZEN
MORGAN COUNTY CITIZEN
2015 Town & Country Holiday Tour of Homes
Nov. 26, 2015 Page 37
NOVEMBER 26, 2015 Page 36
2015 Town & Country Tour of Homes
MORGAN COUNTY CITIZEN
Rutledge Methodist Church 1 3 6 E AS T MAI N STREET, RUTLED G E, G A .
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Methodist congregation has existed for more than a century in Rutledge, Georgia. The ďŹ rst church, a small frame building, stood near the entrance to the Rutledge City Cemetery, adjacent to the W. T. Spears property. The second church building stood across Main Street from the ďŹ rst building, adjacent to the railroad. The property was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. William Gregory in 1902 for $65. Rev. J.W. Taylor, Pastor, was probably the architect and main builder of the new church building. Much of the lumber was donated, and church members assisted with the construction of the church. The building had no Sunday School rooms and no central heating system. A small house stood on this lot, and it was used as a parsonage until 1924, when the church began sharing its pastor with Social Circle Methodist Church. After this, services were held at Rutledge every 2nd Sunday and every 5th Sunday. The pastor was housed in Social Circle, and the parsonage in Rutledge was sold. The money received from this sale was invested in Georgia Railway stock. This stock was later used to build the church's 3rd and current building at 136 East Main Street.
2015 Town & Country Holiday Tour of Homes
MORGAN COUNTY CITIZEN
Nov. 26, 2015 Page 39
Madison Morgan Cultural Center 434 SOUTH M A IN ST. M A D ISON, G A . CIRCA 1895
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he Romanesque Revival building that houses the MadisonMorgan Cultural Center was constructed in 1895 as one of the first graded public schools in the South. It functioned as a public school until 1957. Since 1976, the red brick building has been home to the Cultural Center, a thriving arts organization and a venue for the performing and visual arts. It is also a history museum rich with local and regional history exhibits as well as a restored 1893 classroom. The original brick façade is joined in the middle by an octagonal bell tower which houses the authentic school bell. Of special interest is the apse-shaped wooded auditorium which offers acoustical excellence for performances, such as The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra which performed on Tuesday. Visitors should also note the restored cotton gin located in the Center which is from the area.
The Horace Moore House
THE AFR ICA N A M E R I C A N M U S E U M 156 A C A D E M Y S T. M A D I S O N, G A . CIR C A 1 8 9 5
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he Morgan County African American Museum is a house museum that was built with pine trees in 1890 by John Wesley Moore who was a slave. It was originally three rooms and a foyer and the kitchen was built separately from the house. This house was located in the Plainview and Springfield Area near Seven Islands Road. Reverend Alfred Murray, retired principal of the Morgan County High School purchased the land and auctioned this house off and Reverend Perriman purchased it for the purpose of educating our children about their heritage. The house was relocated to this sight in 1990 and it was opened in 1993 as a museum. The vision of the museum was to become the focal point of educational and enrichment opportunities concerning AfricanAmerican history and culture in Morgan County and its surrounding counties. The community of Morgan County was responsible for contributing donations to renovate the house to its current condition trying to maintain its original condition as much as possible.
sday r u Th rday Satu 4:00 10:00
NOVEMBER 26, 2015 Page 40
2015 Town & Country Tour of Homes
MORGAN COUNTY CITIZEN