Ralph Sandiford Man (1825-1907), a native of South Carolina who came to Texas in the 1850s, was one of the founders of Mansfield. The town was named for Man and his brother-in-law and business partner, Julian Feild. Together they operated a steam-powered grist mill that supplied grain to the Confederacy during the Civil War (1861-1865) and later to U.S. troops at Fort Belknap and Fort Griffin. About 1866, Man built the original log portion of this home for his family and later added the brick rooms. He also donated land for Mansfield Cemetery, where his grave is located.