Mansfield's history stretches back to the seventeenth century. Originally a part of Taunton, then set aside as the Norton North Precinct, Mansfield was incorporated as a district in 1770 and achieved full legal status as a town in 1775.

Inevitably as the years pass, treasured old buildings are lost, through accident, replacement, or development. We wondered what the town would look like if some of these buildings had survived. The images below attempts, in part, to answer that question.

The Lovell Block stood at the corner of North Main and West Streets. Built about 1870 by Isaac Lovell, it long housed the store of his brother S. Crocker Lovell. The building was still extant as recently as the early 2000s, when it was torn down to accommodate the condominiums currently located there. Many Mansfield residents will remember it as the site of George's Cleaners.

Built in 1838, this elegant church was a Main Street landmark for a century and a half. Tragedy struck on the morning of April 10, 1987, when a devastating fire gutted the building and left it a total loss. The undaunted congregation rebuilt on the same site.

Gardner Chilson's home was originally one lot to the south on what is now Route 106. In 1907 it as moved to its current location in order to build the famous Mansfield Tavern, which served as both a hotel and chocolate magnate Walter Lowney's winter home. The building has undergone many transformations over the years. All that remains is the first floor, now used by Bank of America.

Cuneo's was a popular store that sold everything from tobacco and newspapers to beer and wine. It was in the heart of the Depot Square, where Chauncy Street and Rumford Avenue once met. Today it is the site of the Rumford 214 condominium building.

Vincent DeClemente operated his department store from this building at 272 Main Street. The store opened in 1916. The photo shown here was taken in 1956 during a celebration of 40 years at this site.

The Mansfield Fire Department called this barn on West Church Street home for 40 years. Constructed in 1890, the structure housed the majority of the town's fire fighting equipment until the station on North Main Street was built in 1930.

Robert Hayhurst operated his furniture store from this building in the early 1900's. Though now only two stories high, the building still stands at 363 North Main Street across from th North Common. It is now known as Grogan-Marciano Sporting Goods.

Founded in 1883, the Mansfield Cooperative Bank is a long time Main Street institution. In 1950, the bank moved to this location, the former home of Rev. Jacob Ide. The building, demolished in 1987, sat in what is now the bank's parking lot to the right of its current North Main Street home.

The Mansfield Theater was an early twentieth century mainstay of downtown Mansfield. Sold in the 1950s, it was converted to a professional building which stands to this day.

The Old Meeting House was built in 1766 and was the center of village political affairs (the line between church and state was indistinguishable in early New England). The building originally sat on the South Common. In 1872 it was moved to a plot on Union Street next to the old cemetery. It was torn down in 1888.

The stunning old Town Hall sat on a tiny lot at the corner of Union and West Streets. Built in 1883, it served as both the political and social hub of the town, hosting town offices as well as dances and many other functions. Fire claimed the Town Hall on December 20, 1970, and the lot is now a memorial to Mansfield's war veterans.

In 1858, Samuel B. Schenk constructed this famous building where Chauncy Street met the Old Colony Railroad. It had several names and many owners, but was best known as the Mansfield House. It operated as a hotel, restaurant, and watering hole for nearly 130 years. In 1933, owner Joe Roman obtained Mansfield's first post-prohibition license to serve liquor t the property, adding to the building's storied history. The Mansfield House was torn down in 1985.

When the Boston and Providence Railroad was constructed through Mansfield in 1835, the town was changed forever. Mansfield becme a key location for New England railroading, the location where the main line sprouted two important branches--the Old Colony Railroad, which ran to Taunton and points south, and the Mansfield and Framingham Railroad, which ran to that town and points north. The old depot, constructed in 1860, slowly fell in to disrepair and was torn down in 1952.

Rockwood's Grocery was located at the corner of North Main and Church Streets.  Known popularly as "Rocky’s," the building was close to the roadway.  It was torn down and replaced by the building currently occupied by Flynn’s Irish Pub, which is set further back.

Sannie's was a long-time fixture of Mansfield. This was its second location, purchased in early 1958. Sannie's, with its iconic sign, closed in 1992. The site is currently undergoing massive redevelopment.

Animation

Click the link below to take a quick tour of downtown Mansfield showing the locations of the lost buildings. Gray buildings are the work of Lou Andrews of the Mansfield Historical Society. It was unfortunately necessary to strip them of their photo textures to keep the model a reasonable size. Pink buildings are generic "sugar cube" models depicting the general size and location of additional buidlings.

Most of the text on this webpage is the work of the Mansfield Historical Society, which is also responsible for collecting and cataloging the pictures. All the historical photos are courtesy of the Historical Society, with the exception of the historical images for the Mansfield Cooperative Bank and DeClemente's (courtesy of The Mansfield News) and of the Mansfield House (courtesy of Mansfield Public Library).

Christopher George took the the contemporary photographs noted by a photo credit. The remaining photography and architectural visualizations are by Marc Clamage of Emasary Graphics.

This page was created under the auspices of the Mansfield Local Cultural Council. The Mansfield Local Cultural Council (MLCC) is comprised of area volunteers interested in supporting the arts, humanities, and sciences in the Town of Mansfield. Our mission is to promote excellence, access, education and diversity in these areas.

To apply for a MLCC Grant, visit www.mass-culture.org/Mansfield. We invite you to join us at a meeting, become a member, or attend the programs and events funded by the Mansfield Local Cultural Council.