The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum - Norwalk, CT
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum - Norwalk, CT
Enter the past when you walk into The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum which was built between 1864 and 1868. Why so long? Well, it’s because there are 62 rooms in the home which is regarded as one of the earliest and finest surviving Second Empire Style country houses ever built in the United States. Craftsmen from many countries were used to complete the construction of the house. The house was constructed of granite with peaked and mansard slate roofs surrounding a stunning sky-lit octagonal rotunda.
At the time the house was known as "Elm Park" but financial ruin took the house from the estate of banker-railroad tycoon LeGrand in 1874. The house ended up being the home of Charles D. Mathews and his wife who lived there until 1938. In 1941 the estate was sold to the City of Norwalk and designated a public park.
In the 1950’s the house was threatened with demolition but local preservationists succeeded in saving the mansion and forming the Lockwood-Mathews mansion Museum which is the structure you will visit today. This valuable resource of 19th-century American history is a treasure for everyone to enjoy.
As you tour the house you will certainly be enthralled with the drawing room with its elegant design not only of the interior decoration by the ceiling painting, Venus at play with her Cupids, which was done in oil on canvas by Pierre-Victor Galland in 1869.
The dining room has a wide range of decorative details of the elaborate French Renaissance Revival style. The room was originally designed to seat 24 guests.
Sophisticated marquetry and elegant wall painting of musical motifs enhance the design of the Music Room where private entertainment was provided for family and guests.
Even more stunning is the Library which has the Italian Renaissance Revival style. This room contains intricately carved mantel, door frames and bookcases of English and American walnut embellished with polished steel cabochon and strapwork ornaments making it a truly outstanding library for anyone to enjoy.
The Conservatory on the west side of the Library adds elegance as the interior garden of the home.
These rooms are just a sample of what awaits you at the Museum.
* Tours offered Wednesday - Sunday
* Starting times: 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:00 pm
* Length: Approximately one hour
Location: 295 West Avenue • Norwalk, CT 06850
Phone: 203 838-9799
The house is listed as a national landmark and has been featured in both the 1975 and 2004 versions of The Stepford Wives films.
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I have been wanting for many years to see Lagrand Lockwoods marvelous mansion. Now that the work schedule is abaitting a small group of friends and I are planning to come for a visit. hopefully it will be the first of many because I have many friends who would like to make the pilgrimage. In Maine there is a lot of intererest in Nineteenth century domestic architecture. This is probably because it still is the dominant part of our city and town landscapes.
I lived in Norwalk Ct for a couple of years when I was younger. 1966-1970. I remember going to the Lockwood Mansion to watch the making of the movie “Dark Shadows”. I remember it so well. I remember walking around on the grounds and just being transported back in time to what it would have been like to live at this beautiful mansion back in the day when it was at it’s grandeur. It was elegant. I remember, for the first couple of days of filming, word hadn’t gotten around to the other people in town yet, so my sister and friends and I with my little 2 yr old brother walked around the mansion and got to meet all the stars from the show. It was incredible. I cherish the memory. I’m glad to know that it’s a museum now. If I ever get down that way again, I will be sure to stop in.