Established in 1965, the Somerset County Historical Society was created originally with a generous gift by Helen Watts Roberts that enabled the newly formed Society to purchase the northern third of the Teackle Mansion as part of a larger effort started by Olde Princess Anne Days, Inc. in 1960 to preserve this architectural and historical landmark. Divided into apartments during the late nineteenth century, the mansion was slowly converted into a house museum by the two ownership organizations during the 1970s. Over the years the Society managed the northern third of the mansion, using it as its headquarters and opening it regularly for tours. The Society has inspired a diverse membership over the years, which has supported monthly meetings, gradual restoration work, object acquisition, and investigations and presentations on local and regional history. In 1996, the Somerset County Historical Society, in cooperation with Olde Princess Anne Days, supported the formation of Friends of Teackle Mansion, Inc., a non-profit organization established to raise money on behalf of both groups for desperately needed restoration work on the mansion.

In 2000, the boards of directors of the Somerset County Historical Society and Olde Princess Anne Days, Inc. decided that it was no longer productive and strategic for two organizations to own and operate the same building. A merger of the two organizations followed, thereby uniting in sole ownership a property that had been divided in title since the mid nineteenth century. The Friends of Teackle Mansion maintained its role, despite the merger, with its fund-raising and restoration minded goals.

In 2006-07, the Somerset County Historical Society initiated a reform related objective in revising its vision and mission for the 21st century. The revised mission of the Society is to provide leadership to the county's residents, and the general public in the preservation and exploration of our shared history. The Society utilizes its resources, including the Teackle Mansion and its collections, and the historical resources of the county as a whole, as the catalysts to create personal connections to the past by the following:

• collecting, preserving, and documenting the county's historical assets;
• providing a variety of stimulating educational programs and initiatives;
• and encouraging others to actively participate in these endeavors;

The Somerset County Historical Society has carved out an ambitious mission for its volunteer officers, board of directors and supportive members. In accord with its reformed mission statement, the Society has taken on many ambitious projects and programs that directly relate to documenting the past as well as interpreting the past for current visitors, both young and old. Please visit the Teackle Mansion and learn more about its current projects and methods for exploring what life was like during the early nineteenth century and how that relates to our lives during the early twenty-first century.