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	Home \| Designs \| Decorating \| Ideas Screen Porches \| Enclosures \| Build Mobile Home Porches \| Build Porch Roof 3 Season Porch \| Screen Porch Windows Vintage Porch Parts \| More By Dave and Mary Mad About Madison Indiana Madison, IN is a Gorgeous River Town What's not to love about Madison Indiana? Mary and I believe it very well could be the last best small town in America. Nestled along the Ohio River, Madison is picturesque, quaint, and best of all, has lots of beautiful porches. Charles Kuralt called this amazing town "The most beautiful river town in America." But don't take Charles' word for it - see it for yourself. Mary and I discovered its secret - idyllic porches and of course, the people who live there! Madison Indiana front porches in spring Eleftherios Karkadoulias Fountain View of Ohio River from Madison Indiana We arrived on a cold and rainy December day and still marveled at not only the myriad of porches but also the warmth of the community. Call it the intangibles, but there's just something about Madison that makes you feel good! As a special treat, our good friends Al and Jan Shutt who told us about this special small town after they visited one spring are allowing us to share their photos with you too! Madison Indiana Porches Here are just a few of the many wonderful porches in Madison. You can walk down any street and find hidden gems from beautiful architecture, gardens, and porches. Green standing seam metal roofing on mansard-style roof Note the beautiful stone balustrade. Metal roofs work well on almost any porch; long lasting with almost no maintenance required, metal roofs come in a wide variety of colors too. Craftsman-style porch columns and exterior house trim Note the dentil molding above the porch columns. Installing exterior house trim (which is easy to do) can add additional charm. Also note the "split" columns adjacent to the home's siding giving the porch a finished look. Gable roof over front stoop on shotgun house Often times it is difficult to create charm for small front stoops, but not for this inviting home. The gable roof with the corbels, orange-red door, and transom window with stained glass above the door definitely adds loads of charm to this home. The porch expansion to the right of the porch is perfect for a little bistro table and chairs. For more ideas for expanding a porch check out our patio porch section complete with ideas, photos, and tips. Charming open porch with exterior house trim and gingerbread The "*shotgun" style home above features "gingerbread" or exterior house trim and a nice porch swing! Shotgun houses are narrow (approximately 12 feet wide)having rooms aligned one behind the other with doors at each end. Although their historical origins are not definitive they were most popular in the southern U.S. from the end of the Civil War into the 1920's but can also be found throughout the country. Relaxing porch and patio combination We really like this most relaxing porch and patio combination; the perfect spot for enjoying the outdoors. Note the larger square porch columns with trim that is painted to reflect the home's trim colors. The outdoor wall art adds additional charm. Mansard roof extension under gable roof This is a great example of installing a mansard porch roof under the home's gable roof. We are often asked about porch roof options when faced with this similar issue. The mansard roof, unlike a shed-style roof, allows for more porch depth. Note the more contemporary porch balustrade and copper covered newel posts. Lanier Mansion in Madison, Indiana Madison has many historical homes like the Lanier Mansion above. The mansion (and porch) strictly adheres to the Greek Revival architectural style. One way to tell is that the right door on a pair of doors opens only into a wall so that the left door would have a match. Although perhaps not having the most aesthetically pleasing front porch, the Lanier Mansion became a state historical site because it's owner, James Franklin Doughty Lanier, loaned the Indiana government over 1 million dollars during the Civil War to help outfit troops which was eventually repaid. If visiting Madison, be sure to take a tour of this magnificent home and grounds along the Ohio river. Quaint Madison Indiana street You'll find street after street lined with aesthetically pleasing architecture, foliage, and porches and stoops of course! There are hidden gems everywhere - a fun place to take a stroll. Christmas in Madison Indiana Mary and I had the pleasure of visiting Madison in December and wanted to share some of the sights of that special holiday. Our porch photos are perfect from which to glean some neat Christmas decorating ideas for your own front porch. Video: Christmas Porches of Madison Indiana Please watch our video of our visit to Madison in December Victorian front porch decorated for Christmas - Madison Indiana Simple evergreen garland and bows make for a charming display Vintage Christmas decorations Hanging objects like the sled above adds height to the holiday display. Whimsical Christmas display Using whimsical decorative items in your holiday display adds fun for all! Evergreen swags with colorful holiday bows Strategically placing evergreen swags like these can add immense curb appeal. An old wagon (or use a new one) and evergreens combine to make a wonderful display Bird house tree stand A unique way to display bird houses on your porch! Madison Indiana Up Close Although we love their porches, Madison has so much more to offer. Whether you enjoy the arts or love the outdoors, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the number and frequency of major events and activities available in Madison for all ages. Here are but a few of the many opportunities available to visitors and residents alike. Vibrant Downtown Madison Madison Indiana's Vibrant Downtown It's not often that you see such a vibrant downtown in a small town anymore, but Madison surely is an exception. Their downtown is a go-to destination for residents and visitors alike. We enjoyed stopping by many of the shops there and got to meet some wonderful people. You Gotta Regatta in Madison Whether you are a race fan or not, bring the entire family to see the worlds fastest race boats race deck-to-deck in the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing series. It is a weekend filled with lots of fun for the entire family, from 4th of July fireworks to music, food, and much more. Sit on the bank of the Ohio River to see and hear the thunder and feel the shake of these super-charged hydroplanes. 200-mph-plus competitors! Explore Madison Madison can boast it has one of the country's largest National Historic Landmark Districts comprising more than 133 blocks. You'll find 8 house museums along with scenic routes like the Chief White Eye Trail, the Underground Railroad Driving Tour, and the Ohio River Scenic Byway. Historic Lanier Mansion Recreation in Madison Like the outdoors? Enjoy Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, a 50,000-acre nature preserve, or hike in Clifty Falls State Park (below). Enjoy what the Ohio River has to offer or take a bike ride along the many area bicycling routes. Whatever your outdoor pleasure, we are sure you'll find it in and around Madison! Clifty Falls State Park Festivals and Events Galore Big things come in small packages! Madison has a myriad of events and festivals year-round to celebrate almost every occasion. From a very popular spring garden tour to food and music of all kinds, you'll want to return again and again. River Roots Festival Band Listen to Our Audio Programs with Linda Lytle and Trevor Crafton For more information about Madison Indiana, we encourage you to visit both the Madison Indiana Visitors Bureau and the Madison Indiana Chamber of Commerce. And please enjoy the lively audio programs about Madison that we did with both Linda Lytle, Executive Director of Visit Madison Inc., and Trevor Crafton, Executive Director of the Madison Chamber of Commerce. Listen to Our Visit with Linda Lytle Listen to Our Visit with Trevor Crafton More Small Town Porches Abingdon, Virginia On the Road with Front Porch Ideas and More If your town* has attractive porches, then please let us know. You never know...we might stop by. If you'd like to know how we travel around to charming places and get paid to look at beautiful porches, we're happy to share. You Are Here: Home / Front Porch Designs / Porch Ideas / Madison Indiana Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas. Our Sponsors End Sponsors Helpful Links Enjoy shopping Amazon (affiliate link) Popular Pages What's New Join Our Newsletter Family Porch Designs Porch Ideas for Mobile Homes Build a Porch \| Small Porches Porch Columns \| Porch Railings Screened Porches Porch Curtains \| Porch Enclosures Porch Landscaping \| Vinyl Lattice Porch Decorating \| Porch Ideas Shop Navigation Aids Home \| Top of Page Site Search \| Site Map Contact Us Policies Disclosure Policy \| Privacy Policy Legal Info Please Join Us Here Also Find a Trusted Local Pro Copyright© 2008-2024 Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com All rights reserved. No content or photos may be reused or reproduced in any way without our express written permission. At no extra cost to you, we earn a commission by referring you to some products on merchant sites. See our disclosure policy. We, Front Porch Ideas and More, confirm, as stated on our privacy policy, that we do not sell personal information. All content here is solely for presenting ideas. We recommend consulting with a licensed, experienced contractor before you begin your project. We make no guarantees of accuracy or completeness of information on our site or any links to other websites contained here. Thank you for taking your time to stop by. See what's popular and new here.	Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas. --- Our Sponsors --- --- End Sponsors --- Our Newsletter, Front Porch Appeal Learn more! Email First Name (optional) I am at least 16 years of age. I have read and accept the privacy policy. I understand that you will use my information to send me a newsletter. Thank you for being here!
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