It is correct to assume that Madison County was named after our fouth president, James Madison, who practiced law there prior to becoming a Congressman and later president. Madison County orignally was part of Culpeper County and spilt away in 1792 to form the county as we know it today. Culpeper broke off from Orange County which had previously been a part of Spotsylvania County. The earliest known settlers were Germans who settled the area known as the Hebron Valley. Today this is a spectacular farming area at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. According to the Madison County Historical Society, the population of Madison in 1799 was 8,322. Today the population is approximately 13,702 according to the U.S.Census Bureau.
The Madison County Courthouse was built in 1830 and the town of Madison experienced a large fire in 1919. In 1929 President Hoover built a summer retreat near the Rapidan River, which was the predecessor of Camp David. Read more about the Hoover Camp
Today Madison County is known for its agricultural and rural beauty as well as its citizens’ commitment to resist the temptation to turn Madison into another suburb of Washington, D.C.
Also of interest is the Madison County Historical Society’s website.
