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The spectacular lobby ofthe James Madison Inninvites guests to mingle.MADISON’SMADISON’SOWN

B Y S U M M E R FA U S T • P H OTO S B Y T E R R Y A L L E N

Inspired by the stagecoach inns of a bygone era,a locally grown hotel takes rootin downtown Madison, Georgia.

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estled betweenthe busy metropolis skyline, that quaintcollege town painted red and black, andthe city with the famous fairways is oneof Georgia’s most well-preservedhistoric towns. With a population near4,000, Madison, Ga., boasts abicentennial’s worth of history and isfilled with residents who prove that old-fashioned Southern hospitality nevergoes out of style.

There is a strong community effortto preserve the downtown historicdistrict, from the upkeep of remaininglandmarks to the installation of newbusinesses that maintain the spirit ofMadison. One of the most recentadditions is the James Madison Inn,constructed in the classic Greek Revivalstyle across the street from what willsoon become Town Park.

“In the past, Madison had two nicedowntown hotels which were destroyedby fire,” says Everett Royal, whoconceived the idea for the JamesMadison Inn. “Madison is a specialdestination because of the character ofits community. I didn’t think theinterstate hotels could support all thatwe have going on.”

As the foundation was poured andthe bricks laid, the concept of a locally-grown hotel took shape. “It occurred tome that everything we needed could befound locally, from the mattresses to theartwork, so we began to concentrate onutilizing local artisans,” Royal explains.

The community embraced the

concept. Local furniture craftsmenbegan constructing tables and chairs; theGeorgia Sleep Shop manufactureddeluxe mattresses; a resident interiordecorator planned every room andordered linens from a neighboring store;and the Madison Artists Guild began topaint.

“Everett told me that he wanted asmuch as possible to come fromMadisonand not ordered in from far and wide.This made me think of involving thelocal artists in the project, which led tolocal furniture designers, draperyworkroom, upholsterers, and mostimportant, the wonderful mattressesmanufactured right in Madison,”explains interior decorator BobbieRushing. “Being locally grown gives thisnew hotel an instant character andsomething for the guests to not onlyenjoy, but to talk about.”

Completed and opened in May2007, the James Madison Inn isconsidered a boutique hotel because ofits local ownership and size. Each of thenineteen rooms is uniquely decoratedand named after a prominent Madisonlandmark. Members of the Artists Guilddepicted each landmark in paintingswhich hang over every room’s fireplace.Senator Joshua Hill’s home is featured asone of two grand suites, and otherluxury guest rooms are named formansions such as the Foster Home andthe Broughton/Sanders Home.

Susie George (“Suzita”) is one of theartists featured throughout the hotel.

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A Steffen Thomas originalpainting called “Tete-a-tete”hangs prominently in the lobbystairwell, and visitors may wishto visit the artist’s namesakemuseum while staying inMadison.

“ I T O C C U R R E D TO M E T H AT E V E R Y T H I N G W EN E E D E D C O U L D B E F O U N D L O C A L LY, F R O M T H EM AT T R E S S E S TO T H E A R T WO R K . ”

The white-columned front porch offers rocking spaceoutside. Guests can walk around the corner torestaurants, shopping, and soon, Town Park.

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Two of her large pieces on brownwrapping paper, depicting everyday lifein Madison, are on display in the hotellobby. After spending three weeks“walking the pavement” around town,Suzita chose to paint the “snippets ofMadisonian life present at every littlecorner.”

“When I paint, I paint with myheart and I paint emotion. I lived hereyears ago and I’ve always had a soft spotfor the things that make Madison, likethe three men I always saw on the samebench or the seed factory,” Georgeexplains. “I painted the soul of Madison,and I think it evoked a lot of emotionfrom locals who saw it.”

As visitors pass the thick, scroll-likewhite columns extending skyward onthe Inn’s front porch, they may feel as ifthey are passing into the Old South, butthe decorations and amenities inside areanything but antiquated. Posh couchesand comfortable chairs make it easy tofind a space to relax, and guests oftenenjoy making new friends from out oftown in the cozy lobby. Flat-screentelevisions and wireless Internet accessbring the modern world into every guestroom.

Rushing explains that she wanted tocreate a comfortable atmosphere foreach room by using all elements of theroom’s design. “Visually, the roomsneeded to be stunning, but moreimportantly, the chairs needed to be very

comfortable, the beds needed to befabulous to sleep in. Basically, I wantedto design a space that a guest wouldremember, not want to leave, and surelyreturn to … with a good dash ofromance!”

In addition to the locally madebeds, custom-designed furniture, andartwork, each room boasts a selection ofbooks either written by local authors orabout the area. A local chocolatierprovides the chocolates on the pillows,and even the bathroom amenities aredeveloped in town by Spa Adonia.

Mattress makers Gertrude Brownand her husband, Bobby, believe thatincluding the community in the JamesMadison Inn is beneficial for everyoneinvolved. “I think the Inn is good forMadison because people visiting want toknow more about the town,” Gertrudesays. “Madison also has a lot of talentthat people should know about. It was agreat idea, and we are very proud to haveour product in the Inn.”

Visitors and community membershave embraced the hotel in the fewmonths since its opening. “People comehere and they are in the historic districtand within walking distance of all thelocal restaurants and shopping. Peoplelove it so far,” says assistant manager JakeGrant.

A locally grown hotel is not a newconcept, just a revived one. The JamesMadison Inn hearkens back to an erawhen travelers stopped here on theirstagecoach route from Charleston toNew Orleans. Although inspired byRoyal’s travels abroad, the Inn isdistinctly Madison. �

Summer Faust is a Lake Oconee Livingintern.

“ I WA N T E D TO D E S I G N A S PA C E T H AT A G U E S TWO U L D R E M E M B E R , N OT WA N T TO L E AV E , A N D S U R E LYR E T U R N TO . . . W I T H A G O O D D A S H O F R O M A N C E ! ”

Architects Trip Alsbrooks ofMadison and Randy Pimsler ofAtlanta designed the new JamesMadison Inn. The open, airyhallways of the guest quartersfeature black and white photosby local photographers GregStrelecki and Tim Reilly, whocapture images of the regionallandscape.