What to See in Madison - Top Sights and Attractions

Museum in Madison, Connecticut. The Allis-Bushnell House is a historic house at 853 Boston Post Road in Madison, Connecticut. It was built in 1785 and in 1982, was placed into the National Register of Historic Places. The house is owned by the Madison Historical Society and operated as a historic house museum.

In 1772, the 94.5-acre tract upon which the home stands was sold off to four individuals, which included Nathaniel Allis Sr. The tract was divided, and Allis received a portion including the site of the Allis-Bushnell House. Following more transfers, by 1774 David Landon and Samuel Brown were the owners of the property. Aaron Blatchley brought the land from Brown and Landon in 1785. The house was constructed as a 11⁄2-story building. It contained two sizeable rooms at the front with a smaller kitchen and bedroom behind. On the second floor, there were four small rooms. At an unknown point in the house's history, the roof was raised along the front facade to create a full second floor. The Victorian addition was likely added after the Civil War. The property was constructed from April 23, 1785 (upon the four acres being purchased by Blatchley) to December 16, 1789 (when Blatchy sold the "dwelling house").

In 1917, the Madison Historical Society rented the property for its collections and as somewhere to meet. On July 13, 1920, the organization purchased the property as well as 0.56 acres. Until 2010, the house was the Madison Historical Society's headquarters. The house can be accessed by members and the public for special events.^[3]

Historical landmark in Madison, Connecticut. Madison Green is the town green of the New England town of Madison, Connecticut. The green is the centerpiece of the Madison Green Historic District, and is located just west of the commercial strip of Madison on United States Route 1. The green is bounded on the south by US 1, Meeting House Lane on the east and north, and Copse Road on the west. Surrounding the green are several buildings, most prominent being the First Congregational Church. Other buildings around the green include Memorial Hall, a community meeting building, Academy Elementary School, and Lee Academy.

In the southeast corner are three war memorials. They include a large boulder with a bronze plaque honoring veterans who fought in World War One, a large grey cut stone with a bronze plaque remembering those who fought in World War Two, Korea and Vietnam, and a smaller boulder with a bronze plaque remembering the Revolutionary War. A flagpole is located in the center. Across the Boston Post Road is a row of 18th- and 19th-century houses. The oldest house in Madison, the Deacon John Grave House (1681), is just east of the green.

The green was established in 1705, when the area became the site of a meeting house for the newly authorize East Guilford parish (the area then being part of Guilford). From this beginning it grew as a village center, which became the town center when Madison was incorporated in 1826. The historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.^[4]