One of the few residential structures still standing on Middletown’s Main Street , General Mansfield House was built about 1810 for Samuel Mather, a local merchant. The house was later occupied by his daughter Louisa and her husband, General Joseph King Fenno Mansfield, a Civil War hero who died at the battle of Antietam in 1862. In due course, the house passed into the hands of Mansfield’s youngest daughter Katherine, who lived in the house until her death in 1918.

In the late 1950s, General Mansfield House was slated for demolition to make room for a new parking lot. By acting quickly, the Middlesex County Historical Society was able to purchase it from Mansfield’s descendants, thus saving the house for everyone in the community to enjoy.

An outstanding example of the federal style, General Mansfield House has served since 1959 as the Historical Society’s headquarters and museum space. In 1997, the house underwent a $175,000 restoration to preserve it for future generations and to make it wheelchair accessible so all could enjoy its many programs and activities. General Mansfield House was awarded the 1998 Preservation Award by the Middletown Design Review and Preservation Board.

General Mansfield House and exhibits are open to the public on Sundays, 2:00 - 4:30 p.m., Mondays, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. and weekdays by appointment. The Historical Society’s archives are open to researchers by appointment only, Tuesdays through Thursdays. The colorful herb garden, maintained by the Middletown Garden Club, is open daily during daylight hours.