This year’s Madison in May Spring Tour of Homes was another great opportunity to visit outstanding historic properties in the Madison, Georgia area. But for me, what started out as a house tour somehow morphed into a house crush. Let me explain.
One of the properties featured on the tour this year was the Foster-Thomason-Miller House. It doesn’t look too grand right now but here’s the thing‒this house was once a masterpiece and, if all goes according to plan, it will be again.
This house is located on Main Street in Madison. I often drive by it when I run errands around town. Sadly, the property was neglected and had fallen into disrepair. Then over the last few months, I noticed things were happening‒workers were present, scaffolding was erected, wooden braces were installed, piles of bricks appeared, and signs were posted.
When I noticed the house was included on the Madison in May tour, I was excited to go have a look. I wasn’t disappointed‒there’s definitely something special about this house! Below you can see the Library as it is today with a large photo showing how it looked previously.
This is the Entry Hall which originally showcased a solid walnut staircase.
This house was obviously beautiful in its day. And maybe that’s the attraction‒its the possibility of bringing it back to its former glory! Every detail that’s still intact‒and there are many‒is just waiting to be restored. Lucky for the house, many citizens of Madison and the surrounding area feel the same way. Here’s a glimpse of the ornate trim on the exterior. Can’t you just picture it as it was?
Turns out, a local organization called the Madison-Morgan Conservancy (MMC) purchased the property in an effort to save it. They took on the task of preparing it for sale. Having moved to the area recently, this was all new to me. I’ve since learned the MMC’s mission is to “provide public education on conservation matters and to protect and enhance the heritage and quality of life of the residents of Morgan County, by preserving historic sites, greenspace, farmland, and timberland.” The house is currently under contract so a conservation buyer has been found and, fingers crossed, everything will come together for a smooth transition.
The more I learn about this house, the more intrigued and fascinated I become. Here are a few more photos along with some of its rich heritage.
The house, officially called the Foster-Thomason-Miller House, was built in 1883 by Legare H. Foster. Foster had grand plans for this house and he had the funds to make those plans a reality. Here’s an excerpt from a 1883 Madisonian newspaper article: “An Elegant Residence Perhaps the most elegant country home in Middle Georgia is that of Legare H. Foster, in this city. Of all the attractive residences in Madison, this is the most desirable. A stranger to parsimony, this thrifty and comfort-loving man has just completed, by contract, one of the most beautiful and costly residences ever built in this city.”
The article goes on to say the below room, the Red Room “is one of the prettiest rooms we ever saw, and is finished at great cost‒being beautifully frescoed.”
The house reflects the Aesthetic Movement and, as the story goes, was greatly influenced by a lecture given in Atlanta, Georgia in 1882. Surprisingly, the lecture was given by Oscar Wilde, someone more widely recognized for his plays, novels and poetry, than for his decorating expertise. Wilde’s lecture was part of a 9-month, 140-lecture tour across Canada and America. The Atlanta lecture was titled “House Beautiful” and promoted the virtues of the Aesthetic Movement. This is why I’ve come to think of the Foster-Thomason-Miller House as “Madison’s House Beautiful”.
Here are a few excerpts from Wilde’s lecture with illustrative examples from Madison’s House Beautiful. Wilde said “There is nothing which gave me a greater sense of barrenness in travelling through the country than the entire absence of wood carving in your houses. Wood carving is the simplest of the decorative arts.” This House Beautiful contains several excellent examples of wood carving including this stunning lion head in the Entry Hall.
In regards to the use of color, Wilde said “You have too many white walls. More colour is wanted.” The owners of this House Beautiful seem to have taken this advice to heart. Color is used throughout the house including this beautiful wall in the Library.
Wilde advised his listeners to look to nature for decoration inspiration. “Golden rod and aster and rose and all the flowers that cover your valleys in the spring and your hills in the autumn: let them be the flowers for your art… Nature [has] given you the noblest motives for a new school for decoration.” Here are some examples of floral motifs in this House Beautiful. This stenciled ceiling is from the Library.
The below stenciled wall is from one of the upstairs rooms.
The Aesthetic Art Movement was short lived, lasting for only about 10 years from 1880 to 1890. As a result, there are not many surviving examples of this style‒a situation which makes Madison’s House Beautiful even more significant.
This House Beautiful has had its ups and downs over the 136 years since it was lauded in the Madisonian. Six years after completion, it was sold to Robert Usher Thomason whose family owned the house for nearly 90 years. In 1978, the house was bought by Richard and Marcia Miller who undertook a meticulous restoration. They were recognized for their outstanding accomplishment winning the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s award for residential restoration in 1986.
Sadly 15 years later, a fire in the kitchen addition destroyed that section of the house and caused severe water and smoke damage throughout.
The house has been vacant since the fire. It was placed on the Georgia Trust’s 2018 “Places in Peril” list meaning it was recognized as a valuable structure at risk of being lost. This brings us back to present day with the MMC having found a conservation buyer to preserve this outstanding property.
Thank you MMC for your efforts to preserve this beautiful residence! Best of luck to the MMC and the new owners with the pending restoration. I’ll be waiting anxiously for my next opportunity to view Madison’s House Beautiful.
More Info
I also had the pleasure of attending the Madison in May Spring Tour of Homes last year. Here’s a peek into the tour: Madison in May – 15 Favorite Fotos.
You can learn more about the Madison-Morgan Conservancy (MMC) on their website.
To learn more about the Foster-Thomason-Miller House, check out the relevant section on the MMC website or the FTM House website.
Interestingly, the Aesthetic Art Movement (from about 1880 to 1890) was immediately followed by the Art Nouveau period (from about 1890 to 1914). I’ve long admired Art Nouveau and shared My Art Nouveau Love Affair in a previous post.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Let fine craftmanship inspire your decorating choices. Both the Aesthetic Movement and Art Nouveau promoted handcraftsmanship over mass production.
2. Consider viewing historical homes for decorating inspiration.
3. If you feel strongly about preserving historical homes, consider getting involved with the Madison-Morgan Conservancy or a similar organization near you.
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