James Madison Laidley (1809-1896) was a multifaceted man from Virginia known as a lawyer, salt manufacturer, banker, and newspaper editor, but to his family, he was simply "Madison," the builder of Glenwood. After being raised by his uncle following his father's death, Madison pursued various careers, married Anna Beuhring, and raised a
large family in Charleston. He experienced both prosperity and hardship, notably gaining wealth from the salt industry before financial reversals led him to sell Glenwood to his first cousin, Amacetta & her husband Judge George Summers. Madison also served in the Legislature and ran for Congress. He spent his later years in a replica of Glenwood, where he died in 1896.