Once one of the most iconic structures within Madison’s downtown mile from West Wharf Road to East Wharf Road, the home recently known locally as “the General’s Residence” has had a complicated history. Mired in mystery and misinformation, this structure is currently among Madison’s ghost houses—a demolished structure that lives only in memory and story. Associated with a famed husband, Brigadier General William Wright Harts (1866-1961), it was actually first the traditional homeplace of that man’s less famed but no less remarkable wife, Martha Hale Harts (1873-1954).  

When the home fell into disrepair and was then demolished by the property’s current developers, the Madison Historical Society became involved in an effort to preserve the history of the house, to salvage some of its useful elements, and to offer input into the design of a replica structure. That new structure is expected to rise from the splinters of the original home in 2022.  

Follow the link below to read the fascinating history of the General’s Residence, as researched and reported by architectural historian Rachel Carley in 2021.