Have a Historic Property in Madison, But Not Sure Where to Start? 

Did you know that Madison’s 130-block historic district is protected by the Madison Historic District Ordinance? The ordinance was enacted into law in 1982, though the idea had existed long before then. It was created to monitor and control changes to existing structures and any new construction in the district, keeping downtown’s historic charm safe.  The key tenet of the ordinance includes a review by the Office of Planning, Preservation, and Design staff at the city, and depending on the work, additional review and discussion with the Historic District Board of Review, for any work done to the exterior of buildings within the limits of the downtown Madison historic district. This is all outlined in the ordinance, which you can find here: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/madisonin/latest/madison_in/0-0-0-17543 

Another important part of the ordinance relates to the Madison Historic District Design Guidelines.  These guidelines include many Historic Madison, Inc. properties as examples of Madison’s architectural styles, like the recently restored Greek Revival-style Shrewsbury-Windle House. You can read the guidelines by clicking the link below.