Madison in Morgan County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Civic Advancement
Photographed by David Seibert, June 13, 2011
1. Civic Advancement Marker
The Town of Madison Board of Commissioners selected one of their body each year to serve as President until an 1876 charter amendment incorporated the City of Madison and vested leadership in a Mayor and Board of Aldermen (later the Mayor and City Council). In 1990, the city shifted to the City Manager Council form of government.
With recovery following the Great Fire of 1869, the City also invested in civic improvements: a new cemetery (1880-1882); an electric plant and system (1891-1928); its own public school system (1895-1947); and a public waterworks system (1908). The City Hall & Firehouse (1887) replaced the former Town Hall, irreparably damaged by the 1886 Charleston earthquake.
When the 1939 City Hall & Firestation made the previous building obsolete, a period of commercial use was followed by the eventual restoration of the building in 1991 by the Madison-Morgan Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc. Chamber offices include the Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau, which operates a State Welcome Center.
Erected 2011 by City of Madison, Madison BiCentennial Commission 1809-2009.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1876.
Location. 33° 35.762′ N,
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Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Antebellum Trail and in the Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Madison City Hall & Fire Station (here, next to this marker); William Tappan Thompson (within shouting distance of this marker); Lodging Establishments (within shouting distance of this marker); In Memory of the Boys from Morgan County, Georgia (within shouting distance of this marker); E.R. Lambert (within shouting distance of this marker); The Town Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Morgan County (within shouting distance of this marker); Oliver Hardy, Genius of Comedy (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Madison.
Photographed by David Seibert, June 13, 2011
2. Civic Advancement Marker
Photographed by David Seibert, June 13, 2011
3. Civic Advancement Marker
The marker stands in front of the 1887 City Hall & Firehouse, now the Madison Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 14, 2011, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 641 times since then and 19 times this year. Last updated on April 15, 2026, by Kenneth Kocher of Madison, Georgia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 14, 2011, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
