Zackery Peterson
Contributor
Madison is one of three Florida counties that has the same name as the county seat. The county was established on December 26, 1827, as the state’s fourteenth county and was named after James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. Integral to the function of any county is the courthouse. Madison County has utilized six different courthouses throughout its 194-year history. The first recorded building to be used as a courthouse in the county was the home of Mrs. Elizabeth Carter. Her humble abode was located at San Pedro, which had been designated the county seat in the early 1830s. Soon thereafter, a log courthouse was erected nearby. It consisted of one room, with a fireplace at one end. The present New Oakland church grounds cover the location of this first courthouse.
By 1838, the county seat had moved from San Pedro “for health reasons.” This may have referred to San Pedro Bay Swamp and its mosquitoes, or to the hostile Native Americans that lived in the area. In its place, 160 acres of land was bought from Mr. Madison C. Livingston, around a small village called “New Town” or “Newton” and was designated as the new county seat. A blockhouse had been constructed at Newton a few years prior, to protect inhabitants against Native American raids during the Second Seminole War. The new county seat at Newton was centered around this defensive structure, which was located where the Madison Four Freedoms park now resides.
The court and other county business was conducted in the “Old Block House.” The local post office was also in the same building. A large portion of letters, packages, and other correspondence by mail was hence addressed to “Madison Court House,” instead of Newton, as the settlement became a hub of activity. Eventually, people began to shorten the name. They first dropped the words “Court House” in exchange for C.H. and then referred to the establishment simply as Madison. Thus, Newton was renamed "the City of Madison."
In 1840, Mr. Adoniram Vann and his family moved to Madison and, “under contract, built the first framed court house of that county.” This structure was located on the corner of US Hwy. 90 and Shelby Street, where the current Madison County Community Bank now resides.
Unfortunately, this courthouse and some of its records were destroyed when it “mysteriously burned” on March 23, 1876. The tax collector, David Montgomery, had recently been forced to flee the county after he was accused of embezzling tax-payer money. All his tax records and other court documents were destroyed in the courthouse fire.
Erected in the same place as the current courthouse, construction began in March of 1880, for a new brick courthouse with “four chimneys - two fireplaces in the court room and one in each of the other rooms.” The roof was “covered in metal,” most likely tin. It was originally built with two stories, but a third story was added after 1886. A little over a decade later, the Madison Water Standpipe was assembled to supply water for the City of Madison. Built in 1894, it is one of only two still standing in the State of Florida. While the standpipe is no longer in use, it can still be found in the Madison skyline next to the courthouse. This courthouse remained standing until 1912.
On the night of November 25, 1912, a town meeting was held at the courthouse to discuss the illegal transport and sale of liquor in the county. Madison had become a “dry” county several years prior. The structure was discovered engulfed in flames early the next morning; the exact cause of the fire is unknown. Thankfully, fireproof storage vaults and swift action by the people of Madison saved all important records. Plans had already surfaced for a new courthouse the next year. The cornerstone of the current courthouse was laid on Wednesday, December 19, 1913, where the previous building had burned.
The current Madison County Courthouse has thankfully not been destroyed like its predecessors. Even though it underwent a renovation in 1988, it has retained many of the original features. The building had no central air conditioning or heating and was kept warm via a boiler room in the basement. Today, the boiler room is used as a staff break room. However, remnants of the boiler room can still be found. On the outside of the east face of the courthouse, the original coal shoot that fed the boiler is still visible. The structure is also topped by a large four-faced clock. The original Seth Thomas Clock and Bell that was installed on August 27, 1914, still keeps time for the county to this day. The bell weighs between 800 and 1,000 pounds. The craftsmanship of the early twentieth century is further evident in the stamped metal ceiling tiles, marble-lined central lobby and marble staircases.
The courthouse also boasts a few original walk-in vaults that keep the county’s important papers safe and secure. They were produced by the Herring-Hall-Marvin Safe Company in the 1910s. The largest of these houses the entire records department, including documents that stretch from 1831 to the present day. This vault is open to the public, and residents of Madison County may come in and browse the collection any time the courthouse is open. These records include marriage licenses, deeds, mortgages, military records, probate cases and other court-related cases.
A proud example of Madison County recording comes from Mr. Dennis Hankins. He was the first recorded Clerk of the Madison County Court. Mr. Hankins, along with Mr. Silas Coker, hosted the May 1831 election for the Territorial Delegate to Congress in their homes. The recording department has access to Mr. Hankins’ handwritten deed, where he moved to Madison County from South Carolina and bought land from Mr. Allen Townsend. The department also has access to a handwritten marriage license by Mr. Hankins from 1833. This license certified the marriage of Daniel Coker, the son of Silas Coker, and Miss Nicy Taylor. In a way, the Madison Courthouse preserved a significant moment in history through these documents. These individuals helped to begin Madison County’s involvement in State and National politics.
The Madison County Courthouse has a rich and distinguished history dating back to Florida’s territorial days. It was central to the establishment of the county and the City of Madison. All the staff of the Clerk’s office, as well as the other county offices, have successfully been able to keep Madison County functioning for nearly two centuries. The courthouse has likewise played a central role in more contemporary times. It has adapted to evolving technology and an expanding population. The courthouse not only enforces justice and regulates disputes but has also become an integral part of Madison County's society. The building has been a platform for speeches, a backdrop for group photos and a center of Madison's history.