East End Walking Tour of
Madison Indiana
With the building of the famous
"Michigan Road" and, later, the first railroad west of the
Allegheny Mountains (from Madison to Indianapolis), Madison became the
gateway to the Northwest Territory. Nowhere else in the Middle West is
it possible to find comparable architecture. Within a few blocks can be
found houses which show direct descent from Bulfinch and Latrobe models,
splendid examples of the Federal style, the Classic Revival, and the
Americanized Italian Villa style popular during the reign of Victoria.
For much of its fine architecture Madison is indebted to Francis
Costigan who came here from Baltimore in 1837. He was influenced by
Benjamin Henry Latrobe who established the Greek Revival in this county.
This tour was prepared by Brooklyn Cull and is the property of
Historic
Madison, Inc. and used by permission.
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START YOUR TOUR AT THE CITY PARKING
LOT, SOUTHEAST CORNER OF JEFFERSON AND SECOND STREETS. It will take
approximately two hours and will cover sixteen short city blocks. Walk
north on Jefferson observing very early store buildings on both sides of
the street Note the English Archer Tower atop the Knights of Pythias
Building at 314 Jefferson. |
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1. The Jefferson County Court House,
designed by architect David Dubach, is a fine example of Classic
Revival. It was erected in 1854-55, at a cost of $36,000, after an
earlier building burned in 1853. The exterior architecture was not
altered when the interior was modernized in 1960. Before turning east on
Main Street, look west and observe the fine upper portions of the
stores, especially the large four-story building in the middle of the
block on the north side of Main (Masonic Building). Fine Mansard roof
and ornate window caps are features. Others on both sides of the street
have the same characteristics |
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2. Turn east on Main Street to the jail in
the middle of the block. The Old Jail is that portion of the
building closest to the Court House with pediment and main entrance
facing Main Street. It has been kept intact with its heavy iron doors,
heavy chains and very large locks on dungeon-like cells. A tour
of the Old Jail and the Court House can be made by appointment. Continue
east on Main. Just east of the jail is the Middleton Monument,
dedicated to men of the Civil War. Note at this time (2A), the
three-story Italianate building on the north side of Main which has
survived without change. The upper floors of this building, 325 E. Main,
were originally used for large public gatherings. |
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3. In steamboat days the space east of the
jail and facing Walnut Street was the location of the old covered
market. Farmers brought their produce here and then spent the night in
the hotel directly across the street (4), the large brick building on
the southeast corner. |
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5. Cross Main Street to the north side of
the street and note the Madison Volunteer "Fair Play" Fire
House Company No.1, founded in 1841. The building was erected in the
1880's in the style of the Italian towers of the Renaissance. See the
hand drawn fire engine on display in the fire house, acquired about
1850, and "Little Jimmy" atop the building. |
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6. Continue east on the north side of Main
to St. Michael's Avenue, then north on that street to St. Michael's
Catholic Church, erected 1838-1839. Tradition says that Costigan
completed the designs for this building as his first task after
his arrival in Madison. Note the Be11 Tower at the rear and the
"open book" or double-curved ceiling. Stone for the structure
came from the second cut on the railroad being constructed at the time.
Open by appointment. |
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7. Be sure to notice the house at the rear,
near the bell tower. It is a fine adaptation of the garden houses
designed by Vignola for the Popes at Villa Lante north of Rome in the
sixteenth century. |
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8. Continue west on Third Street to
Jefferson, noting the old brick buildings on each side of Third. Observe
the house at the southeast comer of Jefferson and Third Streets with the
Italianate cornices (8A). |
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9. Turn north on Jefferson one-half block
to the house with columns, no.521, on the west side of the street.
Basically Federal, this house has modern columns in the tradition of the
Classic Revival and iron work of the Romantic Era. The two-story portion
at the rear was added sometime in the 1850-1860's. Continue north to
Fourth Street, then west on Fourth Street to Mulberry. |
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10. Turn south {left) on Mulberry one-half
block to Christ Episcopal Church, 1847-1848. This fine example of
English Gothic is said to be the earliest relatively pure example of
this style in the Northwest Territory. Of interest are the heavy roof
timbers, held in place with wooden pins, the hand-made locks and bricks
and the carillon. Open by appointment. |
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11. Continue south on Mulberry to Third
Street. Turn west {right) on Third Street to the middle of the block.
This large, painted brick at 113 West Third was build about 1832. It
served as a Radical Methodist Chapel, the high school, then as a Jewish
Synagogue {1867-1869). |
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12,13,14. Continue west, noting three
houses on the south side of the street: (12), the house at 108 was built
in 1819 with the front portion added in 1850. Representative of homes
built by early families coming to Madison before the Civil War from
slave states; (13), the house at 106, had fine basement kitchen and wine
cellar. Note doorstep benches. This is an excellent Federal example;
(14), the one-story house at 104 is also a fine example and early enough
to show general proportions of the preceding
Georgian style. |
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15. On the northeast corner of Third and
West is The John T. Windle Memorial Auditorium. Designed by architect
Edwin J. Peck and built in 1835 as the Second Presbyterian
Church, this fine example of the Greek Revival style is said to be the
oldest public building in Madison and the finest example of this style
in the Northwest Territory. It is now the headquarters of Historic
Madison, Inc. It contains a public auditorium and meeting room for
community use and a restored 1867 Johnson Tracker Organ, opus 217. |
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16. Dr. William Hutchings Memorial. This
office and private hospital of a mid-nineteenth century horse-and- buggy
doctor was presented to Historic Madison, Inc. The donors have made
possible the full restoration of this four room building which is
classic in style and contains most of the doctor's original equipment
and furnishings. This restoration is one of the few in this country that
show all original furnishings. |
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17. Return to West Street and continue
south to 416 West Street. Here is the site of the first Masonic Temple
built of logs and dedicated in 1822 by the then Grand Master of Most
Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, Honorable John
Sheets. This log structure had the only room big enough to accommodate a
large gathering. The Presbyterians rented it for two dollars a month,
and Father Shaw of the Roman Catholic Church held the first local
Catholic christening ceremony here. |
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18. Continue south one-half block to Main.
Notice the fine store fronts with fluted iron columns on the south side
of the street These date from the 1850's when Madison had its own iron
foundries. |
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19. Before turning east on Main Street.
notice the store front three doors west of West Street. The fine, thin
Tuscan columns of cast iron were made in Madison and are characteristic
of the Italianate style of the 1850's. Note other store fronts on both
sides of Main. |
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20. Turn east on Main to Mulberry Street,
noting the upper portions of the store fronts on both sides of Main. The
heavy cornices and well designed window caps were made to resemble
carved stone and date from the 1850's, showing the influence of the
Italian Villa style of architecture popular in this country at that
time. |
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21. Turn south on Mulberry, walking on the
east side of the street to get the best view of store fronts on the west
side. This is the center of Old Madison, and this was the street used by
passenger traffic from the wharf boat on the river to the center of the
town. Many of the buildings in this block date from the 1830's
and have fortunately survived almost without change, making this
block one of the most perfect period pieces to be found today. Merchants
lived on the second and third floors above the stores. Examples of
Federal style dominate. |
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22. The building at 316 Mulberry housed
Hentz' Bakery until January 1981. It had been a bakery continuously for
a longer period than any other in Indiana, about 140 years. The
exterior shows almost no change. |
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23. On the comer of Mulberry and Second,
this building, formerly Central Hotel, was used in the film, "Some
Came Running," 1958. The exterior has fine Italianate window caps
and cornices. |
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24. Go east on Second Street one block to
point of beginning, City Parking Lot. Look at the building on the
northwest comer or the intersection of Second and Jefferson.
The third floor of this building was a public dance hall, heated by a
fireplace. Orchestras in packet boat days were small and the orchestra
balcony hung over the stairway. |
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25. Before leaving the parking area, look
south on Jefferson Street one-half block and note the location of the
Post Office. This building occupies the site of the home of John Paul,
said to have been the first home built in the area of Madison. Paul laid
out much of the valley portion of the city. |
