The Rogers House & Rose Cottage

Managed by the Morgan County Historical Society, visitors can explore the Rogers House and Rose Cottage with a combined ticket.

First stop is the Rogers House, Madison’s oldest house museum. Built around 1809, this Piedmont Plain-style home predates the historic county courthouse by nearly a century. Authentically restored to its 1873 appearance, the house features mid-19th-century furnishings and reveals the daily realities of middle-class life when Madison was the edge of the frontier. Notably, 1820 census records show eighteen people lived on the property, prompting the addition of a back shed. Over its long history, the home has had seventeen owners, including Revolutionary War veteran Thomas Norris.

Next door is Rose Cottage, a testament to resilience built in 1891 by Adeline Rose. Born into slavery shortly before the end of the Civil War, Adeline funded her home by taking in washing and ironing at 50 cents a load, often for boarders at the nearby Hardy House that was operated by the mother of comedian Oliver Hardy. A single mother, Adeline operated her business and raised her children in this home. Recognizing the importance of preserving a home built through the determination of a formerly enslaved woman and the experience of working-class citizens, the City of Madison relocated Rose Cottage in 1996 to serve as a historic house museum in downtown.