John Lendrum Mitchell, the only surviving son of millionaire Alexander Mitchell, was widely known through his activities in business, politics and philanthropy. After serving in the Civil War, he developed a profitable 480-acre farm in the Town of Greenfield where he earned a reputation as a breeder and trainer of trotting horses. A leading Democrat, Mitchell served as both a U. S. Congressman and Senator from Wisconsin and on the boards of the State Agricultural Society, the National Soldiers’ Home and the Milwaukee Public Schools.

In 1878, Milwaukee architect Edward Townsend Mix designed “Meadowmere,” a three story Queen Anne style home for Mitchell and his family located on the Greenfield farm. Materials were obtained from around the world and experts from Europe installed the embossed ceiling in the formal dining room, the stained glass in windows and doors, and the mother-of-pearl fireplaces inlaid with copper and wood. After the death of Mitchell’s widow, the Carmelite order acquired the home which became, in 1938, St. Joseph ’s Home for the Aged. The 28-room house has been treated with care and respect and the parlor and dining room are unchanged from the time of the Mitchells.