A couple of weeks ago we were in Madison, Georgia, a town which has only about 3600 people, but you’d never know it if you landed on its busy Main Street with no introduction. The town has well used to advantage the number of antebellum and other historic buildings present in the county and made of itself such a tourist attraction that the “downtown” area has 165 shops–antique dealers, boutiques, eateries. Traffic was non-stop through town center. The numerous mini-parking areas were 1/3 to 1/2 full but there were also tourist buses. The sidewalks weren’t exactly full but it was a Thursday and there was a more than respectable turn-out of groups and couples and groups of couples. The place where we had lunch was filled and the majority of the tables turned over once while we were there.
The town’s website states, “Madison stands as a true testament to the time when cotton was king…Madison boasts of a variety of activities to entertain and educate visitors about the nation’s most romantic era.” Which isn’t going to appeal to me as when I think of antebellum and king cotton I think of slavery and I’ve never been able to figure out what’s romantic and appealing about slavery and lifestyles of callous excess forged upon human bondage and grief.
But I do like history. We bypassed the antebellum homes and focused on the Madison Morgan Cultural Center (the “first graded schoolhouse in the southeast”) for its permanent and temporary (fiber art) exhibits. Great place. Really nice gallery area for a small show, and the display plan was well thought out.
Anyway, the above photos. This was what I ended up wanting to shoot. The car dealership with the reimagined-antebellum exterior that would have been been attempting to capitalize on Madison’s big tourist attraction. All those columns!!!
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