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A−History
History · Madison Township

Madison Township dates to 1810, and 35 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns · #280 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it

Most of Madison Township was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1925 on, and old-book passages.

1810founded
35on the National Register
8%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Madison Township began

When was Madison Township founded?

1810

Madison Township dates its founding to 1810 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1831.

2020 census: 25,945216 years

How historic is Madison Township?

A−

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1831.
History grade

What drives Madison Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Madison Township is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #280 of 993 in Ohio. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Madison Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1810, from Wikipedia: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19408.4% of homes (±2.1) · typical OH town 14.5% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register35 listings, 193 historic buildings, 73.3 per 10,000 residents · typical OH town 2.9 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 82%
NewerOlder
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 72%

Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Madison Township’s 73.3 sits above most of its state (91% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 193 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1810.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share (±2.1 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Madison Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Landmarks on the Register35 places on the National Register.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s Madison Township, and 3 old place names are still on the map.Deep rootsEstablished in 1810: 216 years of Madison Township.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

35 listings protect 193 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
35
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
193
each building in a district counts
first listed
1990
Rager, John, Farmhouse
Rager, John, FarmhouseJoshua Stevenson House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Unknown1
Early Republic1
Federal1
Rager, John, FarmhouseUnknown
Joshua Stevenson HouseEarly Republic

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Start Madison Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Madison Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Another post office, Zimmer, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Blacklick EstatesEdgewater ParkZimmer
Gone or out of use
Zimmer Post Officepost office
7cemeteries and burying grounds inside Madison Township
AsburyFranklin Hills Memory GardenHopewellMiddletownRareyTruroWalton

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story so far

Madison Township, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Madison Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Madison Township is one of the seventeen townships of Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census found 25,945 people in the township.

Madison Township was established in 1810. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 23,509 to 25,945 (+10%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Madison Township, 1858–1902

Passages that mention Madison Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.

side of Madison Township, in 1851, threw the town of Winchester, which had previously been in Fairfield County, into this. Winchester, like Groveport, is situated on the canal, and is a place of very considerable business, particularly in grain and produce. In its business generally, it bears a sim…
History of Franklin County [Ohio]1858 · page 210Read the page →
Read the text

side of Madison Township, in 1851, threw the town of Winchester, which had previously been in Fairfield County, into this. Winchester, like Groveport, is situated on the canal, and is a place of very considerable business, particularly in grain and produce. In its business generally, it bears a similarity to Groveport, though it is a much older town. It was laid out about the year 1826 or '27, by Reuben Dove and John Coleman, of

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
September 17, i860, a committee was appointed by the Board of Education of Madison Township consisting of Jacob Sarber, Wm. Perrin and Henry Long "for the purpose of visiting the school houses in sub-district Xo. 18 to ascertain whether they have school room enough, and to report at the April meeti…
History of Madison Township, including Groveport and Canal Winchester, Franklin County, Ohio1902 · page 119Read the page →
Read the text

September 17, i860, a committee was appointed by the Board of Education of Madison Township consisting of Jacob Sarber, Wm. Perrin and Henry Long "for the purpose of visiting the school houses in sub-district Xo. 18 to ascertain whether they have school room enough, and to report at the April meeting." On April 15, 1861, this committee submitted a report which "was received and the committee discharged," and on

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
We will supplement the list of township officers with a list of Madison Township citizens who have Tield county, state and other honorary positions. In October of 1827 John Swisher succeeded James Kilbourne as county assessor, and served until 1835, The office of county assessor was abolished in 18…
History of Madison Township, including Groveport and Canal Winchester, Franklin County, Ohio1902 · page 76Read the page →
Read the text

We will supplement the list of township officers with a list of Madison Township citizens who have Tield county, state and other honorary positions. In October of 1827 John Swisher succeeded James Kilbourne as county assessor, and served until 1835, The office of county assessor was abolished in 1841, when the office of Township Assesssor was created.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Madison Township, 1810 to 1925

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1810
    FoundingMadison Township is established
  3. 1842In the archive1842 Property ownership plat map of
  4. 1891Post officeThe Zimmer post office opens
  5. 20th century
  6. 1901Post officeThe Zimmer post office closes
  7. 1925On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Madison Township, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1840s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1840s1 item
1842 Property ownership plat map of18421842 Property ownership plat map ofMap
Today5 recent
Joshua Stevenson House2015Joshua Stevenson HouseMap of Franklin County Ohio Highlighting2015Map of Franklin County Ohio HighlightingMapJohn Rager Farmhouse, 8020 Groveport Road2014John Rager Farmhouse, 8020 Groveport RoadCharles Weber House —2014Charles Weber House —OHMap-doton-Blacklick Estates2004OHMap-doton-Blacklick Estates
On the map

Madison Township on the map, 1925 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Madison Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Madison Township on the 1925 USGS mapMadison Township on the 1943 USGS mapMadison Township on the 1955 USGS mapMadison Township on the 1966 USGS mapMadison Township on the 1985 USGS map1925East Columbus sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Madison Township.

Famous people

Famous people close to Madison Township

Nobody well known was born in Madison Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Simone BilesAmerican artistic gymnast · b. 1997
J
Josh RadnorAmerican actor, director, producer, and screenw… · b. 1974
R. L. StineAmerican novelist · b. 1943
Warner BaxterAmerican actor · b. 1889
Lois McMaster BujoldAmerican novelist · b. 1949
Jack NicklausAmerican golfer · b. 1940
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Columbus181 historic placesABlacklick EstatesIts storyDCanal Winchester29 historic placesA−Groveport4 historic placesAObetz1 historic placeBViolet Township5 historic placesCHamilton Township2 historic placesBTruro Township1 historic placeCPickerington4 historic placesB

Questions about Madison Township’s history

What year was Madison Township founded?

In 1810, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Madison Township’s post office opened in 1831.

How does Madison Township rank for history?

Madison Township is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #280 of 993 in Ohio. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Madison Township?

35 listings: 2 buildings, among them the Rager, John, Farmhouse (listed 1990, the first). 193 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Madison Township?

8% of Madison Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.1 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1977.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.