Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum
Overview
The LockwoodContact Information
295 West AveNorwalk, Connecticut 06850
United States
Description
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is regarded as one of the earliest and finest surviving Second Empire Style country houses ever built in the United States. The 62-room mansion was built by banker-railroad tycoon LeGrand Lockwood, who in 1864 began construction of his estate on the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Connecticut. Designed by European-trained, New York-based architect Detlef Lienau, the mansion, which was completed in 1868, is considered his most significant surviving work. American craftsmen, along with many immigrant artisans, were employed in the construction of the house. In 1876 the Mansion was purchased by Charles Drelincourt Mathews, a wealthy provisions merchant. His son, Charles Thompson Mathews, won an international competition for the design and construction of the Lady Chapel at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC in 1899. Following the death of Miss Florence Mathews in 1938, the house was first leased and then sold to the City of Norwalk for "park purposes." When the City announced their plans for demolition, the Common Interest Group sued the City of Norwalk and the Mansion was saved in 1964; in 1971, the Mansion was designated as a National Historic Landmark. Today, the Museum is a cultural gem which highlights the lives, styles and technology of the Victorian Era.