The Town Square

THE TOWN SQUARE. Reserved for public use in the original 1809 town plan, the public square was also used to establish the early town limits, first drawn as a half-mile radius (1822) and then as a mile radius (1849). This method formed circular town boundaries: a common early town planning technique in Georgia.

The square has also been in continuous use as a public property - County Courthouses (1st c.1810-1844; 2nd 1845-1907), City Hall (1909-1916), Town Park (1917-1930), and U.S. Post Office (1931). The City occupied the former courthouse until it burned in 1916. A year later, the City sold the property to the federal government but negotiated its use as a park until construction commenced on the post office.

Public accessories and amenities have long adorned the square. The 1856 Braswell Monument anchors the west corner. On the prominent north corner stood the town "Market" (1851-c.1885), a Victorian gazebo (c.1901), and later the city "Police Shack" (c.1950-75). The 1908 Cooke Fountain was also sited here (1925-31) when street paving began.

CITY OF MADISON MADISON BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION 1809-2009 A PRESERVE AMERICA COMMUNITY