Historical Museums of Mansfield, Ohio

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The Ohio State Reformatory, located in Mansfield, Ohio, was an active prison from 1896 until 1990. The buildings in the complex are a simultaneously imposing and inspiring example of an eclectic variety of architectural styles, most notably Richardsonian Romanesque and Queen Anne, executed in limestone, sandstone, and brick. It was originally intended to reform young first-time offenders and was one of the first such institutions in the nation. The Reformatory eventually became a maximum-security prison; conditions were so bad that the Counsel for Human Dignity sued on behalf of the inmates. The state agreed to begin phasing out the complex and constructed a new facility, the Mansfield Correctional Institute. The old Reformatory came into the hands of the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society, which now operates the structure as a nonprofit museum, paranormal exploration site, and special event venue. The building has been featured in several movies and music videos, most famously The Shawshank Redemption in 1994.

2. Oak Hill Cottage and Museum

Oak Hill Cottage is an 1847 home described as, “the one perfect Gothic house in the United States.”[4] Built by prominent Mansfield businessman John R. Robinson, it was purchased by Dr. Johannes A. Jones in 1864. Dr. Jones’s family lived in Oak Hill for just over a century, until 1965, when they sold it to the Richland County Historical Society, which restored the property. Today, the Society operates a museum in the home with many historic local artifacts, including the only surviving 1905 National Automobile, manufactured in Mansfield.

3. The Mansfield Memorial Museum in the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building is a sandstone, Richardsonian Romanesque-style building in Mansfield, Ohio, and is one of the few remaining Civil War memorial halls in the state. It has been the location of both veterans group meetings and the Mansfield Memorial Museum since shortly after its dedication in 1889; it was also home to the town library until 1908. An adjacent opera house was built to fund the Memorial Building’s public functions. It burnt in 1929 and was replaced by the Madison Theater, which was demolished in 1986. The Museum includes exhibits about military history, natural history, local history, and industrial history, including the famous robot “Elektro,” built for the 1939 World’s Fair at Westinghouse’s Mansfield plant.

4. Mansfield Blockhouse and Log Cabin

Mansfield’s South Park is the location of two early 19th century structures: a blockhouse and a log cabin. The blockhouse was constructed by militiamen in the early days of the War of 1812 to defend against Native American attacks. It later served as Richland County’s first courthouse, jail, church, and school. The blockhouse was largely rebuilt for the city’s centennial celebration in 1908 and summarily relocated to South Park, where it was used for a number of different functions. In 2015, the Richland Early American Center for History (REACH) disassembled a circa 1820s log cabin in Mifflin and, over the next several years, rebuilt it in South Park. Today, REACH opens the blockhouse in the summer, hosts special events (including reenactments), and continues to work on restoring the cabin. Their plan is to create a living history village in the park.

5. Kingwood Center

The Kingwood Center is an historic home with elaborate surrounding gardens originally built for Charles Kelley King and open to the public since 1953. Kingwood Hall is a massive, stunning exemplar of a French Chateau-style home with Georgian Revival influences; it was designed by Clarence Mack and completed in 1926. The surrounding manicured grounds and gardens, originally laid out by the firm of Pitkin and Mott and since expanded upon, are nationally significant masterpieces of landscape architecture. King himself made his fortune with the Ohio Brass Company, of which he was ultimately President and Chairman of the Board. He granted his estate to the public upon his death in 1952, and, today, it offers multiple tours, workshops, events, and educational activities across its forty-seven acres.

6. The Mansfield Fire Museum

Established in 1987, the Mansfield Fire Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of firefighting in the region. The museum's collection has grown to include nineteen fire engines, with the oldest dating back to 1837. The museum is also the site of a reproduction circa 1900 fire station and horse stable and life-size historical model of a section of Mansfield’s North Main Street. The museum also offers a collection of other equipment, photographs, and artifacts related to the history of firefighting around Mansfield, and it is open for both regular and “haunted” tours.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Historical Museums of Mansfield, Ohio

Created by Benjamin Woodard on July 21st 2020, 11:23:13 pm.

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Description

This tour features six museums in Mansfield, Ohio, nearly all of which are in buildings which are historically important in their own right. These locations include Mansfield's earliest surviving structure, the blockhouse; its two grandest homes, Oak Hill Cottage and Kingwood Hall; and its most famous landmark, the Ohio State Reformatory, as well as two museums dedicated to the town's history, the Mansfield Memorial Museum and the Mansfield Fire Museum. All are open to the public at least several times during the year.

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Historical Museums of Mansfield, Ohio

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