Madison in Morgan County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Foundation to Consolidation

Photographed By David Seibert, June 13, 2011

1. Foundation to Consolidation Marker

Inscription. Empowered in 1894 to establish public schools, the City of Madison initiated construction of two graded schools, a contrast to one-room schoolhouses typical of rural areas. Nicholas Ittner of Atlanta built the brick graded school for white students – S. Main Street School, a Romanesque Revival design by Tinsley & Wilson of Lynchburg, Virginia.

Madison High School (1921, burned 1947) was added at the rear right facing Main followed by the Gymnasium (1938). With consolidation of city and county school systems in 1948, high school classes were relocated to the Madison A&M campus and, by 1957, the building was deemed surplus.

Abandonment and threatened demolition led the Morgan County Foundation, Inc., to organize and repurpose the building to serve as Regional Library Headquarters until 1975. With diligence and vision, the foundation restored the exterior as well as the magnificent auditorium and adapted the interior for a regional performing, visual, and decorative arts museum-opened in 1976 as the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center.

Erected 2011 by City of Madison, Madison BiCentennial Commission 1809-2009.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1894.

Location.

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33° 35.517′ N, 83° 28.267′ W. Marker is in Madison, Georgia, in Morgan County. Marker is on South Main Street, 0 miles north of Foster Street (U.S. 129/441), on the right when traveling north. The marker stands in front of the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 434 South Main Street, Madison GA 30650, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The March to the Sea (within shouting distance of this marker); The Stoneman Raid (within shouting distance of this marker); Advanced Education Center (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Joshua Hill Home (about 500 feet away); Formal Southern Landscapes (about 600 feet away); Early Religious Life (about 700 feet away); The Town Commons (about 700 feet away); Antebellum Architecture (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Madison.

Regarding Foundation to Consolidation. The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center gained early recognition with a major exhibition, in late 1981, of the works of N.C. Wyatt and Andrew Wyatt.

Also see . . . Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. (Submitted on November 1, 2011, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)

Photographed By David Seibert, June 13, 2011

2. Foundation to Consolidation Marker

Photographed By David Seibert, June 13, 2011

3. Foundation to Consolidation Marker

Looking northeast on South Main Street, US 129/411, toward the center of Madison

Madison-Morgan Cultural Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed By David Seibert, June 13, 2011

4. Madison-Morgan Cultural Center

Built at the end of the 19th century as the graded school for white students.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 28, 2011, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 515 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 28, 2011, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.