Welcome to the Richter Cottage

Welcome to the Richter Cottage. . Tanneries, dirty and smelly, were always erected on a water source on the outskirts of town. Such is likely the origin of the Richter Cottage, built c1830 along Tanyard Branch, which still flows about 200 feet behind the cottage., It's about time , Madison, the county seat of Morgan County, was a mere two decades old when this building - possibly the tannery's office - was erected. Over the years, the structure evolved with the community, serving as the mid-19th century residence and shop for a silversmith and watchmaker - an example of the homes of Madison's white tradesmen of this formative period., It's about place , Then, as now, agriculture was the backbone of the county. Of the 12,000 residents in 1830, over half were slaves, the vast majority of whom toiled in cotton fields. In 1842 the Georgia Railroad, building westward from Augusta to Atlanta, reached Madison, where planters stood at the top of the social structure. Next were the professionals and the smaller but independent farmers. Indeed, cotton was king, but it could not have reigned without Madison's skilled tradesmen blacksmiths, seamstresses, grocers, carpenters, saddlers, and, of course, tanners and watchmakers., Watchmaker/silversmith Charles W. Richter, his wife Ann Eliza Potter, and baby daughter immigrated to the United States in 1837 from their birthplace, St. Croix in the West Indies. They settled in Madison c1838 and joined the Presbyterian Church in 1843, a year after it was built. In 1851, Richter purchased this building. Here the Richters raised their eight children who became productive members of society. Ann died in 1863, and soon after, Charles moved in with their son Martin Luther Richter, a prosperous jeweler and photographer, who resided in the grand house on South Main Street now known as the Dovecote House., It's about people , Son Arthur Potter Richter, his family, and brother John lived in the Richter Cottage until at least 1870. Charles died in 1884. He, Ann, and most of their children were buried in Madison's Old Cemetery., For the next century the structure had several owners and untold numbers of tenants, until it fell into disrepair and faced condemnation in the 1960s. An effort to save the house was led by two Madison sisters, whose family had strong roots in antebellum Madison., In 1976 local history teacher Dr. Josephine Hart Brandon and Georgia State Archivist Carroll Hart rallied local students, community leaders, and fellow members of the Morgan County Landmarks Society to the cause, and the Richter Cottage was preserved. After extensive restoration in the 1990s, Landmarks opened the cottage to the public in 2000 as an example of mid-19th century tradesman life., The legacy of Dr. Brandon and Ms. Hart, known lovingly as the "Founding Mothers," still guides the Landmarks Society in its mission to educate the public about historic landmarks, landscapes, and culture of Morgan County., It's about today , The Richter Cottage and land is ... by the City of Madison and ... by the Morgan County Landmarks Society, Inc., (captions) , c1930 built . 1851 purchased by Charles W. Richter . 1976 saved . 1996 restored . 1999 opened , Ann Eliza Potter . Charles W. Richter , Dr. Josephine Hart Brandon . Ms. Carroll Hart