County Courthouse is one of the striking features of downtown Madison, Ga. Click to enlarge all our photos.
photo by John Wilson
It's a good thing that Sen. Joshua Hill was a good friend of Gen. Sherman's brother. It was the intervention of Sen. Hill - as Sherman headed south from Atlanta with torch in hand - that saved the beautiful antebellum homes of Madison.
As a result, Madison today has one of Georgia's largest historic districts.
Both the downtown - looking like it must have well over a century ago - and the rows of gorgeous antebellum homes take the visitor back into a much earlier era.
Madison is one of the showplaces of Georgia's Antebellum Trail southeast of Atlanta by about an hour.
Madison is also known for its intriguing shops and boutiques.
Its county courthouse is among the architectural masterpieces on the courthouse square.
Hard Labor Creek State Park is nearby as well as scenic Lake Oconee, the second largest lake in Georgia.
From Atlanta, take I-20.
Nearby are Eatonville, the home of Joel Chandler Harris, and Milledgeville, the one-time state capital.
White columns abound at stately Madison, Ga., homes
photo by John Wilson