by Marcia Brooks (Author), Kittie Mayfield (Author)
Located about halfway between Atlanta and Augusta, the town of Madison, Georgia, grew from a settlement that was originally part of Baldwin County. Incorporated in 1809, Madison was named in honor of Pres. James Madison, who was in office at the time. Madison has the distinction of being widely known as "the town Sherman refused to burn." Although the railroad depot, some public buildings, and some outlying plantations actually were burned by the Union army, the homes of Madison were spared thanks to the intercession of Madison resident Joshua Hill, a former US senator who was opposed to secession. Most of Madison's homes from that era still stand today, making its historic district the second-largest in Georgia. More recently, in 2001, Madison was voted the "No. 1 Small Town in America" by Travel Holiday magazine.