The town of Madison has served as the county seat and commercial hub of Madison County since its formation from Culpeper County in 1793. The settlement was formally established as a post office town in 1801, several years after the erection of the county’s first courthouse, clerk’s office, and jail. The Madison County Courthouse Historic District’s most prominent building is the 1830 Jeffersonian-style courthouse. A key element of the courthouse complex is the adjacent ca. 1832 tavern, a large brick structure with stepped parapets. A principal historic residence is the Greek Revival house occupied by Confederate Major General James Lawson Kemper, who later served as governor. In addition to its early- and mid-19th-century structures, the Madison County Courthouse Historic District also has a late-19th-century commercial core, along with several decorative Victorian residences. Bypassed by U. S. Route 29, the town retains much of its early village ambience.