Madison in Jefferson County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Broadway Colored School / Broadway Fountain

Streetside History

Broadway Colored School Marker (<i>south side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 2021

1. Broadway Colored School Marker (south side)

Inscription. Broadway Colored School
[south side]Built in 1880 as a grammar school for Madison's African American children, it was expanded in 1898 to include high school students. With integration, it closed in 1957 and became a community center until it burned in 1969. The school produced notable teachers and graduates who went on to contribute throughout the State of Indiana.

Broadway Fountain
[north side]First exhibited at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, Madison's Broadway fountain was produced by the Janes, Kirtland & Company of Morrisania, New York. It was presented to the town by the International Order of Odd Fellows in the late 19th century. Later it was recast in bronze. It has been refurbished several times.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Education • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.

Location. 38° 44.272′ N, 85° 22.971′ W. Marker is in Madison, Indiana, in Jefferson County. Marker is at the intersection of West 3rd Street and Broadway Street, on the right when traveling east on West 3rd Street. Marker is located beside the sidewalk in the Broadway Street

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median plaza. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Madison IN 47250, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Madison Farmer's Market (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); This Fountain (about 300 feet away); Preservation is Primary (about 400 feet away); Public Library / Chautauqua (about 500 feet away); Madison Historic District (about 600 feet away); Washington Fire Co. #2 (about 600 feet away); Crawford — Whitehead — Ross House (about 700 feet away); Madison's Fire Companies / Government Buildings (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Madison.

Regarding Broadway Colored School / Broadway Fountain. Broadway Fountain Park is a contributing property in the Madison Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark. National Register of Historic Places #73000020.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Streetside History • Madison, Indiana

Also see . . .
1. Broadway School. Indiana Memory website entry:
"Broadway High School was the first commissioned high school for colored in Indiana" according to Grant S. Murray, Principal of the Broadway School from 1914-1917. On New Year's Eve 1969, according to Fire Chief

Broadway Fountain Marker (<i>north side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 2021

2. Broadway Fountain Marker (north side)

Harold Lohrig, quoted in the Madison Courier, "The old Broadway School was definitely set on fire." Damage was so extensive to the building that it had to be taken down. (Submitted on September 4, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Broadway Fountain. Visit Madison website entry:
The original Broadway Fountain stood in the middle of Broadway for almost 100 years before it was dismantled and replaced with the 1981 bronze reproduction. The Broadway Fountain is one of four similarly designed fountains that Janes, Kirtland, and Company created. The others can be found in Savannah, Georgia (seen in the movies Forrest Gump and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil); Poughkeepsie, New York; and Cusco, Peru. (Submitted on September 4, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Madison Historic District (Madison, Indiana). Wikipedia entry (Submitted on October 23, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Marker detail: Broadway Colored School image. Click for full size.

3. Marker detail: Broadway Colored School

Marker detail: Broadway Fountain image. Click for full size.

August 26, 2021

4. Marker detail: Broadway Fountain

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 2021

5. Broadway Colored School Marker (south side)

(looking north across West 3rd Street)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 2021

6. Broadway Fountain Marker (north side)

(looking south through the Broadway Street median plaza • Broadway Fountain visible in distant background)

Madison Historic District image. Click for more information.

via NPS, unknown

7. Madison Historic District

National Historic Landmark Nomination:
Click for more information.

Broadway Fountain image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 2021

8. Broadway Fountain

Credits. This page was last revised on October 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 4, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 465 times since then and 104 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 4, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 7. submitted on October 23, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 8. submitted on September 4, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.