Madison County Courthouse
Early 1900s
This contains no postmark or other means of identifying the date
of its printing and use. The address side of the card does not have
a space for a personal message. Since federal law prohibited personal
messages on the address side before March 1907, this postcard likely
was printed before 1907.
The brick structure -- Madison County's third courthouse -- was completed
in 1901.
It replaced a frame courthouse, which in turn replaced an
earlier wooden courthouse.
The courthouse was rehabilitated in 1983, but lack of space led
county officials to move to
the present courthouse in 1996. A restoration of the roof took place
in 1999-2000, but the structure
has been vacant since 1996 -- and its future use is uncertain. The
old courthouse
square features a statue of Dr. Crawford Long [see photo], who was
born in Danielsville in 1815.
Madison County's present courthouse -- the fourth in the county's
history --
was constructed in 1996-97. It replaced the old courthouse, which
still stands on the downtown courthouse square. The previous structure,
built
in 1901, replaced a frame courthouse, which in turn replaced an
earlier wooden
courthouse--all three built on the same site. Eventually, the old
courthouse
proved too small for county government needs, forcing the county
to rent office
space in downtown Danielsville. In the mid-1990s, the county commission
decided
to use the former Danielsville Elementary School two blocks away
as the core of
a new and much larger county courthouse/government complex. The
old school
underwent a substantial renovation in 1996, with the actual courtroom
and judicial
offices part of a new addition to the old school in 1997-- all within
a newly
designed exterior. The result was essentially a new courthouse,
although its official
title is "Madison County Government Complex."
Madison County History
Madison County, Georgia
December 5, 1811 Madison
County created
Creation of Georgia Counties
November 1, 1815 Crawford
Long born, Danielsville (Madison County), Georgia
Name derivation: Named
in honor of James Madison, President of the United States who visited the
state during his term of office and traveled through the Cherokee Nation
to Nashville.
Madison County was created
by the Georgia Legislature in 1811 and was formed from portions of Clarke,
Elbert, Franklin, Jackson and Oglethorpe Counties. It is the 38th county
in the state and was named for the nation’s fourth president, James Madison.
The first meeting of county government was in January 1812 at the "Strickland
House" currently being used as the offices of the Chamber of Commerce and
Industrial Authority. In 1773, the Cherokee Indians ceded to the Colonial
Government of Georgia a large tract of land, whose western border included
what is now Madison County. Governor James Wright sold farms of 100 to
1,000 acres to settlers who came to Georgia from similar areas of Pennsylvania,
Virginia and North and South Carolina.
These early residents
probably were hunters, squatters, traders and cattle-raisers. Although
they did not leave written records, landmarks, such as churches,
trading places and cattle raising centers are known to have been in existence
since 1790.
More About Madison
County
Madison County, the 38th
county formed in Georgia, was created in 1811 from parts of Clarke, Elbert,
Franklin, Jackson and Oglethorpe counties. It was named for President James
Madison.
The county has six municipalities,
with Danielsville serving as the county seat. The other communities are
Carlton, Colbert, Comer, Hull and Ila. No municipality in Madison County
has a population over 1,000; only one, Comer, exceeds 500.
Crawford W. Long, the
first doctor to use ether in surgery, was born in Danielsville in 1815.
Madison and Oglethorpe
counties share Watson Mill Bridge State Park, the site of the longest covered
bridge in Georgia. The bridge, which is over 100 years old, spans 229 feet
of the South Fork of the Broad River.
The Madison County Courthouse,
one of the most ornate in Georgia, was built in 1901 for the sum of $18,314.
It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. New Hope Presbyterian
Church, established in 1788, is the third oldest church in Georgia.
The courthouse is no longer occupied by government offices and is currently
under restoration.
The Madison County Government
Complex now houses some of the government offices and the courts.
Situated at 91 Albany Avenue, in Danielsville, and within view of the Historic
Courthouse, the Complex was previously the site of the Danielsville Elementary
School. The building was renovated and has been occupied since June
1997.
Madison County was developed
over the course of 2 centuries. It’s history is similar to the whole history
of NE Georgia. When the Revolutionary War ended, Georgia acquired an immense
area of land through a treaty with the Cherokee Indians in 1783. The wilderness
had isolated settlements of Creek and Cherokee Indians. The first white
settlers were hunters, traders, squatters, and cattle raisers who migrated
from the Carolinas and Virginia.
What encouraged settlements
in the area were the headright land grants awarded to Revolutionary War
soldiers as payment for their loyal service. From 1788 to 1795, settlers
coming into the area were mostly from Pennsylvania, Virginia, N. and S.
Carolina. Landmarks such as churches, trading places, and cattle-raising
centers are known to have existed as early as 1790. Farming was the way
of life. Several forts were built covering a large geographic area. Madison
County had 4 of them - Hillhouse Forge was on South Fork of the Broad River,
near Comer, Hillhouse Furnace near Rogers Mill, Jones Station (later named
Fort Lamar), and Black Station near Black’s Creek and the Hudson River.
Madison County became
Georgia’s 38th county in 1811 and named for James Madison, the 4th President
and chief architect of
the U.S. Constitution. Danielsville was founded in 1812 and became the
county seat. It was named for General Allen Daniel, a Revolutionary War
veteran and prominent person. This Courthouse was built in 1901. A statue
of Dr. Crawford W. Long, a Civil War physician and native. He was the first
physician to successfully use ether as an anesthetic, and his boyhood home
still stands.
Comer (formerly known
as Honey Pot) is Madison County’s most populous town. The residents had
the town’s center designated
as a historic district. Downtown Colbert has been listed on the National
Register of Historic Places for over 20 years. Colbert was originally known
as Five Forks because 5 principal roads met there leading to Danielsville,
Diamond Hill, Comer, Crawford, and Athens. The Colbert railway station,
built in 1892, sits in the center of historic downtown. It was restored
in 1974 and now houses Colbert City Hall and Colbert Museum. Across the
street are 2 historic structures that have been moved here: the Jacob Eberhart
Cabin (built by one of Colbert’s first settlers), and the old Grove Hill
District Courthouse, presently used by the Sons of Confederate Veterans
and includes The Garden of Remembrance. Ila is at the western end. The
historic outpost of Fort Lamar flourished near the town’s present site.
Hull was organized around a chapel known as Hull’s Meeting House. Hope
Hull, one of the earliest Methodist ministers, built the Chapel and served
as a trustee of the University of Georgia. Hull’s first post office was
known as Dowdy and was located on Spratlin Mill Road. Unincorporated communities
remain such as: Sanford (formerly Sawdust), Neese, Pocataligo, Fort Lamar,
Jot-Em-Down, Booger Hill, Vineyard’sCreek, and Dogsboro. Paoli is listed
on the National Register. Other attractions include: Watson Mill Covered
Bridge (the longest bridge remaining in Georgia) and State Park, Colbert
Museum, The Strickland House, Colbert Railway Station, Camp Kiwanis, and
the Broad River
