Born 133 years ago, on April 2, 1888, Madison changed the face of a young Royal Oak in the 1920 and ‘30s.
Madison’s buildings include the six-story Washington Square Building, the Conga Building, which was home to Montgomery Ward for more than three decades, Royal Oak High School (now Royal Oak Middle School), the First United Methodist Church, the Royal Oak Savings Bank, the Royal Oak Post Office, the Washington and Baldwin Theatres and countless schools, office, and store buildings throughout the city.
His 40-year plus career began in 1916 when he opened his first architectural office in Royal Oak. After World War II, the Royal Oak School District and Oakland County retained his services to design long-range postwar construction projects.
A long-time Woodcrest Drive resident, Madison died at the former Alexander Convalescent Home on Fourth Street in 1969. He was 81 years old. He is buried at Royal Oak Cemetery.