Madison Furniture closing with the retirement of owner Court Dickason

PHOTO BY MICHELLE OWNBEY

After 91 years in business, Madison Furniture Company is closing with the retirement of owner Court Dickason. His grandparents, Charles and Ruth Madison, founded the businesses at 1104 South Grand Ave. East in 1932.

Dickason’s mother, Janet Dickason, became the manager in 1967 and ran the business until he returned from the service, although Court Dickason had already started working in the family business when he was just 13 years old.

Dickason said he’s now been involved in the family business for 60 years, and while his sister, Debbie, and adult children all help out, it was time to wrap things up. “They both have good jobs,” he said of his son, Drew, and daughter, Jennifer. “Who wants to get into retail in this day and age?”

A final closing date hasn’t been set for the store; Dickason said it will depend on how long it takes to sell off the remaining inventory. The merchandise has been discounted and the store is currently open by appointment only.

Dickason said he has made arrangements to sell the building to The Springfield Project, an organization that has been spearheading redevelopment of the South Town area, and supports the plans that president Dominic Watson has in the works.

In 2022, the Springfield City Council allocated $179,235 from a Community Development Block Grant to allow The Springfield Project to purchase the former beauty supply store just west of Madison Furniture Company. The building at the corner of 11th Street and South Grand Avenue East is now home to the Community Access Project (CAP) 1908, a social innovation center focused on minority entrepreneurs.

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