Purchase Print A historic two-story red brick mansion in Madison, Indiana, with painted wooden shutters, on a beautiful and scenic tree-lined street. With more than 130 blocks of historic buildings, Madison boasts one of the largest historic districts of any city in the United States. Buildings within its historic downtown cover every era of its history, from its founding in 1809, through 1939. Its architecture includes shotgun houses, Federal style and Greek Revival mansions, and various industrial buildings and commercial storefronts along Main Street.