Editing Mansfield, Massachusetts (section)

==History==
[[Image:Mansfield, Massachusetts (2673720087).jpg|thumb|left|View of Mansfield in 1888]]
[[Image:Panoramic_photo_of_Walter_Lowney's_factory,_Mansfield,_Mass_LCCN2007661046.tif|thumb|left|Walter Lowney's chocolate factory, Mansfield]]

The area to become Mansfield was first scouted in 1640 by Captain [[Miles Standish]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=History of Mansfield {{!}} Mansfield, MA|url=https://www.mansfieldma.com/303/History-of-Mansfield|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=www.mansfieldma.com}}</ref> settled in 1658 and was officially incorporated in 1775. It was named for [[William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield]], a pro-colonial member of the [[House of Lords]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n197 198]}}</ref> Mansfield is the home of the [[Xfinity Center (Mansfield, Massachusetts)|Xfinity Center]] (formerly known as Great Woods, Tweeter Center and Comcast Center) concert venue, one of the most popular in New England. 

One of the oldest buildings in Mansfield is the [[Fisher–Richardson House]], built between 1743 and 1751, registered in the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. It was restored in 1930 and is a local history museum. 

Mansfield is also the birthplace of [[Honey Dew Donuts]],<ref name="Official Web Page">{{cite web|title=The Honey Dew Donuts Story|url=http://www.honeydewdonuts.com/about-us/honey-dew-donuts-story|publisher=Honey Dew Associates, Inc|access-date=September 11, 2012}}</ref> a regional New England chain of donut shops. The first Honey Dew was opened at 221 North Main Street on June 6, 1973.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thesunchronicle.com/a-sweet-th/article_f84ab3c7-cc5f-5ce5-9fb0-5876265233be.html |title=A Sweet 30th |last=Gelbwasser|first=Michael |date=October 5, 2003 |website=[[Sun Chronicle]] |access-date=March 15, 2019}}</ref>

[[Benjamin E. Bates]], an industrialist and philanthropist, who was the founder of [[Bates College]], was born in Mansfield in 1808.  Stove and furnace manufacturer and innovator Gordon Chilson (1804–1877) worked here.<ref>{{Cite Appletons'|wstitle=Chilson, Gordon|year=1900}}</ref>