Through his autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself, he served as the inspiration for the title character in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.

The museum, initially known as Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site, was privately owned until 1988, when it was sold to Kent County.

The museum resides on the Dawn settlement, a community formed by Josiah Henson, a Methodist preacher and runaway slave who escaped to Canada 28 October 1830.

[2] The Dawn settlement was formed several years after the rebellion in 1841, with a 81 hectares (200 acres) property purchased as a refuge and a place of work for former slaves from the United States.

[5] The autobiography later served as the inspiration for the titular character in Harriet Beecher Stowe anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.

The publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin was initially controversial, with American pro-slavery advocates calling the novel an exaggerated fiction.

[7] The owner of the property surrounding the Henson home, William Chapple, saw the house as a potential tourist attraction and opened it to the public in 1948.

[7] Shortly after the property was opened into a museum, Thomson sought out a descendant of Henson, Barbara Carter, to work as its curator.

[7] During Carter's tenure as the museum's curator, she helped shift the institution's focus from just chronicling Henson's life, to incorporate the history of slavery and the Underground Railroad in its exhibits.

[4][8][9] In the 2010s, the museum's administration considered renaming the historic site to reflect Henson's actual name, and to avoid association with the derogatory Uncle Tom moniker that emerged from late-19th century minstrel shows.

It operates as an open-air museum, situated on 2.0 hectares (5 acres) of land that once housed the Dawn settlement's British-American Institute.

[7] The property houses an interpretive visitor centre that was erected in 1994, and includes the North Star Theatre, the Underground Railroad Freedom Gallery, and gift shop.

[7] A memorial monument commemorating Henson is placed near his grave, marked by a Masonic symbol, and a crown to signify his visit with Queen Victoria.

[7] In addition to the visitor centre, and gravesites, the property also contains several historic structures, including three buildings recognized by the Ontario Heritage Act, a sawmill, and a smokehouse.

[4][8][9][7] There are presently three historic buildings in the grounds of the Josiah Henson Museum that are recognized under the Ontario Heritage Act, all originating from the 19th century.

The Henson family home is a typical example of 19th century vernacular architecture, being a two-storey post-and-beam structure clad in clapboard.