Henry G Madison Cabin Restoration

Background

Born enslaved in 1843 in Memphis, Tennessee, Henry Green Madison made his way to Austin via Bastrop by the early 1860s and married Louisa Green. Shortly after, he built a small cabin at 807 East 11^th Street in Austin. Madison was a Unionist, president of the Austin chapter of the Union League, and an active participant in post-Civil War Reconstruction. He served as an assistant at the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1868-69 and worked as a captain of an African American unit in the Sixth Regiment of the Texas State Guard. Madison is notable for being the first African American Austin City Council member, appointed by Governor Edmund Davis, from February 1, 1871, until November 28, 1872. Madison went on to serve as a policeman, porter, and farmer, passing away on May 31, 1912, in Austin, where he was buried at Oakwood Cemetery.

In 1968, a demolition crew discovered the original cabin Madison built that he later enveloped in a larger house. The cabin’s exact construction date is not known but is estimated to be built in 1864 at the latest. The frame house that enclosed the structure was constructed in 1886 presumably by Madison. The owner of the property, Mrs. Greenwood Wooten, worked with the Rosewood Recreation Association and the Delta Sigma Theta Service Sorority to disassemble and relocate the cabin to Rosewood Park in 1973. The Henry G. Madison log cabin was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1974 and a City of Austin Landmark in 1976.

Project Description

According to a preliminary conditions assessment completed in 2021, the cabin’s wood is showing signs of deterioration from UV rays, moisture, and insect damage. To preserve the cabin for future generations, the entire structure requires architectural and structural improvements, following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, which provide guidance for the treatment of historic properties. Austin Parks Foundation (APF), in partnership with the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), is leading a restoration effort of the historic log cabin structure. The design phase is being led by Donna Carter, FAIA, principal of Carter Design Associates.

Objectives

Major components of the design scope will include:

• Architectural and structural improvements following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards 
• Window and door restoration
• Repairs to log walls and chinking
• Roof replacement
• Lighting improvements
• Site and landscape improvements to address Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance
• Sidewalk and hardscape improvements
• Operational improvements supporting venue flexibility for future programming 

Anticipated Schedule

The project is fully funded through the design phase. A timeline for construction will be developed once full funding is secured.

Funding and Resources

Austin Parks Foundation contributed initial funding of $55,000 to initiate the design phase and has secured additional grant funding for the project from the following sources:

• $4,500 from Preservation Austin
• $30,000 from the Texas Preservation Trust Fund, Texas Historical Commission
• $30,000 from the Heritage Preservation Grant, City of Austin

Contact Information

For more information, please contact Ellen Colfax, PARD Project Manager,  by email or by phone at 512-974-9472.