Published: Thursday, June 3, 2010

Staff Reports
Madison Magazine

Cindy Sensenberger is celebrating two accomplishments in downtown Madison. It has been ten years since she started what has become a staple for the historic downtown area, Main Street Cafe; and on Friday she celebrates the conversion of the Clay House into 16 Main. A historic treasure in Madison, the historic home will get a new lease on life, this time as an art gallery, shops and studios.

See photos below.

The grand open and ribbon cutting will be held Friday, June 4, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The two-story antebellum home featuring Federal architecture was built in the same era that James Clemens, a speculator from Huntsville, purchased an adjacent land parcel that became the town of Madison Station in the mid 1800’s.

In 2002, the late Robin Hall Brewer bought the house, which had sat idle for several years, and founded the Clay House Museum. However, it had once again been unused over the past several months until Sensenberger bought the property a couple of months ago and transformed it into a co-op of local artists.

Renamed 16 Main, Sensenberger said she didn’t want to see the house deteriorate and thought something needed to be done to revive it.

“Terry Hale (owner of Hale Fire Glass) has been instrumental in recruiting artists who wanted to locate their studios and shops in the historic home and 16 Main was born,” said Sensenberger.

“We are very excited to be making this move,” said Hale who moved her business a block up Main Street from it’s former location to be in the house. “This will give us a unique opportunity to do some things we have not been able to do in our former location.”

Sensenberger operates her cafe from another historic building, the old city jail. She has leased the building from the city for several years.

“I have a passion to see Madison’s downtown area grow and prosper,” said Sensenberger. “It is such a unique place that deserves to be revitalized. I know our downtown can be more than what it is and I am hoping the creation of 16 Main is just the beginning of great things to come.”