Henry G. Madison Cabin Restoration

The Henry G. Madison cabin located in Rosewood Neighborhood Park

About the cabin

The Henry G. Madison Cabin was built in approximately 1863 by pioneering Austin civic leader Henry Green Madison. Originally located at 807 East 11th Street, the cabin was the home of Madison, his wife Louisa Green, and their nine children. Madison eventually built a larger home around the original cabin, which was rediscovered by a demolition crew in 1963.

After its discovery, the cabin was donated to the City of Austin, where it was reassembled in Rosewood Neighborhood Park in 1973. The cabin was Designated as a Texas Historical Marker in 1974 and a City of Austin Landmark in 1976.

Austin Parks Foundation, in partnership with Austin Parks and Recreation, is leading the restoration effort of the historic log cabin structure. The design phase is being led by Donna Carter, FAIA, principal of Carter Design Associates. 

Learn more about the Henry G. Madison Cabin Restoration Project here.

HENRY G. MADISON'S LEGACY

Henry Green Madison (1843-1912) was Austin's first African American city council member. Born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1843, made his way to Austin as a freedman by the early 1860s.

Madison was a Unionist, serving as president of the Austin chapter of the Union League and an active participant in post-Civil War Reconstruction. He was appointed an assistant at the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1868-69 and also served as a captain of an African American unit in the Sixth Regiment of the Texas State Guard.

On February 1, 1871, Governor Edmund J. Davis appointed Henry Madison as city alderman, an office he held until November 28, 1872. He went on to serve as a porter, policeman and farmer before passing away on May 31, 1912. Madison is buried in Austin at Oakwood Cemetery.

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Henry Green Madison (image courtesy of Austin History Center)

scope of restoration

Austin Parks Foundation, alongside Austin Parks and Recreation, led the restoration of this historic cabin, including structural and architectural elements, as well as improvements to the site to address accessibility standards and support venue flexibility for future programming, including:

  • Window and door restoration
  • Repairs to log walls and chinking
  • Roof replacement
  • Lighting improvements
  • Site and landscape improvements to address Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance
  • Sidewalk and hardscape improvements
  • Operational improvements supporting venue flexibility for future programming

Completion & Awards

The cabin restoration was completed in 2025 with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony taking place in February 2026. Upon completion, the project was awarded:

support projects like this

Projects like the Henry G. Madison Cabin Restoration require a significant investment, and are only possible thanks to the generous support of our donors. When you make a gift to Austin Parks Foundation, you're helping ensure vital pieces of history remain part of Austin's story.

Click below to make your contribution today!

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this project made possible by:

Austin Parks Foundation contributed initial funding of $55,000 to initiate the design phase, as well as securing generous additional funding:

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Six Square: Austin's Black Cultural District
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gallery

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Henry Green Madison and his wife Louisa Green.
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Location of the cabin in Rosewood Neighborhood Park.
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Historical photographs of the Henry G. Madison cabin.
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The Henry G. Madison Cabin before restoration.
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The cabin is disassembled, the foundation and surrounding accessible sidewalks are added to the site.
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The historic logs are disassembled and inventoried.
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New logs are milled on-site to replace logs that were too damaged to reuse.
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The cabin walls are reassembled on the new foundation.
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The cabin wall restoration is finished.
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An assortment of tools available at the time of the cabin's original construction.
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The team selects new mortar and chinking to secure the logs as the cabin is reassembled.
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Crews used tools available at the time to hand mill new logs to replace damaged logs for the restoration.
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The project team beside the completed cabin.
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The completed cabin and site improvements in Rosewood Neighborhood Park, 2025.