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During May, we host several preservation events and presentations to showcase Mansfield's unique heritage. You'll find information on all our events on the Historic Preservation Month Event Hub. You can even register for the events on this page.
Events are sponsored by the Mansfield Historic Landmark Commission, the Historic Services Department, the Historic Preservation Officer, the Mansfield Historical Society and our preservation volunteers.
Join us this May, where we bring you and history together!
Check out the Historic Preservation Month Calendar for May 2023. We have events scheduled throughout the month.
May 3, 2024, at 6:30pm at the Man House Museum Information Center
Join us for a talk by D. Preston Davidson, a retired Deputy U.S. Marshal who spent 31 years in law enforcement. Mr. Davidson has hunted fugitives across the United States. Mr. Davidson is a native of Texas and has either lived or worked in every part of the state. Mr. Davidson writes Western fiction, drawing on his love of Texas history and his experience in law enforcement to tell the story of Nahum Putney, a U.S. Marshal in the post war years of the 1800s.
May 4, 2024, from 9:00am to 2:00pm
Mansfield’s love affair with automobiles began when the first car arrived in 1906, purchased by Charles Dunnell for $1,025. From 1906 on, automobiles became more popular, and by 1910 there were enough vehicles in town that the City Council found it necessary to adopt a speed limit of 10mph.
Throughout the 30s, 40s and 50s, more and more vehicles came to Mansfield. Roads were paved. Services stations popped up on Main Street. From that time on, the automobile was the primary form of transportation in Mansfield.
Celebrate Mansfield’s automotive heritage at our second annual Historic Downtown Mansfield Car Show on May 4, 2024, from 9:00am to 2:00pm in Historic Downtown Mansfield. The show is open to the public free of charge.
To pre-register a car for the show, please complete the online form here or email this registration form to planning@mansfieldtexas.gov. Pre-registration closes Friday, April 26, 2024.
NOTE: Entrants must arrive at the site by 8:30 a.m. due to street closures and Public Safety Department restrictions. Vehicles may not enter the site after 8:30 a.m. Support vehicles / trailers must be removed from Main Street by 8:00 a.m.
May 11, 2024, from 9:00am to 1:00pm
Historically, art in Mansfield involved things that could be done at home, like music and homemade decorations, including painting, quilting, and weaving hair wreaths. These days, Historic Downtown Mansfield embraces art in all its forms. From the murals on the buildings and sidewalks to the shows in the Farr Best Theater, art is an important aspect of life downtown.
Come add your own work of art to Historic Downtown Mansfield by participating in our Chalk the Walk Contest. Decorate the sidewalks of the historic downtown district using chalk in this free, family-friendly contest.
This year's theme is Education: What Did You Learn in School?
Click here for the contest rules.
To participate in the contest, sign up here. Pre-registration closes Friday, May 3, 2024, but you can check-in when you arrive.
May 11, 2024, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Become a Mansfield History Hunter in this family-friendly scavenger hunt following Mansfield’s history from its founding into the 1920s. The Hunt starts at the Mansfield Historical Museum and Heritage Center at 102 N. Main Street.
History Hunters, working as individuals or in teams, can start the hunt between 1:00pm and 4:00pm on their journey through Historic Downtown Mansfield to solve clues and complete challenges to unravel Mansfield’s early history. Teams will be awarded prizes for the most points gained during the Hunt, including for creativity and historical insights.
To pre-register, click here. Pre-registration closes Friday, May 3, 2024. You can also check-in when you arrive at the event.
Join Mansfield’s Historic Preservation Officer on guided walking tours of Historic Downtown Mansfield in May. The tours are FREE.
102 N. Main Street
Since the town’s founding in the mid-1800s, law and order was a necessity. Hear how the crimes of ne’er-do-wells and even some prominent citizens kept early law enforcement busy and how some arguments could only be settled with a gun. The tours start in front of the Mansfield Historical Museum and Heritage Center at 102 N. Main Street.
750 W. Kimball Street
In honor of the Memorial Day weekend, we offer a tour of the military graves in the Historic Cemetery District. The district is the resting place of many Mansfield residents who served in the armed forces, some of whom didn't return from war.
The history of Mansfield’s early families lies buried in the Historic Cemetery District, consisting of the Mansfield Cemetery, c. 1868, and the Mansfield Community Cemetery, c. 1874. Once segregated, these cemeteries have joined together to bring the story of Mansfield’s early families to life. The tour starts at the cemetery pavilion at 750 W. Kimball Street. There is limited parking at the Cemeteries, but additional parking is available in the lot at McClendon Park East at 740 W. Kimball Street. This tour is generously sponsored by the Mansfield Cemetery and the Mansfield Community Cemetery Associations.
102 N. Main Street
Learn what Mansfield was like in the late 1800s and early 1900s and see what our historic building reveal about the people who built them. The tours start in front of the Mansfield Historical Museum and Heritage Center at 102 N. Main Street.
Updates will be posted here if tour schedules change due to inclement weather or other circumstance.
To see what’s going on at the Man House throughout the year, visit the Man House Museum’s website here.
604 W. Broad Street
Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Explore the home of town co-founder Ralph Man with our Man House Museum Tours. Beginning as a log house, Mr. Man added new rooms to create a home for his growing family. The house is furnished with period pieces to show how the Man family lived.
We’ve selected 31 historic sites in Mansfield to celebrate during Preservation Month. Just look for the “This Place Matters” signs generously provided by the Mansfield Historical Society. We'll post a brief history on a different property each day in May.
If you see one of these signs around town, take a selfie with it and let us know why you think it is important. To find the signs, click here or on the picture at right to open a map with the location and description of each historic property. Please take care though; some signs may be on private property.
Post your selfies and thoughts on your favorite social media platform and use #MansfieldTXPlacesMatter.
We have public parking throughout Historic Downtown Mansfield. Check out the Downtown Parking Map to find a spot to park.
These events cannot happen without the volunteers who give their time to support their neighbors to succeed in these events. As a volunteer, you make up the backbone of these events and each and every participant benefits from your hard work, enthusiasm and spirit. If you are interested in volunteering, please click this link to complete the Volunteer Interest Form.
Thank you for your interest in making these Historic Preservation Month events an incredible success!
1200 E. Broad St.
Mansfield, TX 76063
Phone: 817-276-4200
