For two years, 1920-1922, William Aiken Starrett, Jr. served as Mayor of the Borough of Madison.  He and his wife Eloise, his daughter Helen Ruth, and his son, David, lived in a five-bedroom Tudor home in Madison. That was one side of Starrett’s life. The other side was his enormous body of work as an architect and builder with his crowning achievement being the construction of the Empire State Building, at the time the tallest building in the world.

            William A. Starrett, Jr. was born in Lawrence, Kansas in 1877.  Early in his life the family moved to Chicago.  His father, William A. Starrett Sr. was a minister.  His mother, Helen Martha Starrett, was an author of many books and founder of the Starrett School for Girls in Chicago. In 1893, he entered the University of Michigan.  But before he could finish, he had to drop out and help his family that was financially strapped. In 1917, Michigan retroactively awarded Starrett his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.

The Presbyterian Meeting House built in 1749 when Madison was called Bottle Hill. Citizens came to worship at the house from modern day Chatham, Florham Park, Madison and Chatham Township.

In 1804 New Jersey passed An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery and the state soon became one of the key destinations for runaway slaves as well as a key section of the Underground Railroad for those seeking to go further north. The State’s location was crucial, positioned between two of the Railroad’s most active urban centers – Philadelphia and New York City.

Throughout the United States during World War II, it was not at all unusual for communities to offer expressions of support for the war effort and Madison was no exception. Fund raising campaigns to purchase tanks, trucks, and jeeps were popular choices. But Madison chose a war plane.

Madison has a few houses that were built during the 18th century. During the bicentennial celebration of 1976, the Bicentennial Heritage Committee recognized the houses with a special plaque that the borough placed on each of the houses.