“…prominent in his devotion to the cause of human freedom…” An Appreciation of James Floy
On November 16, 1863 a memorial service was held for the Reverend James Floy, D.D. at the Seventh Street M.E. Church in New York City. ...
top of page
FRESH OFF THE PRESS!
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 2 min
Wheels and deals…and a steal too?Joseph W. Mather’s horse and carriage correspondence
Among the letters received—and saved—by Joseph Wakeman Mather in the 1890s are a number that deal with buying and selling of horses,...
2 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 3 min
“It is a stormy dreary day…”A Letter from Emily Selleck Waterbury to Joseph Wakeman Mather
Emily Selleck Waterbury (13 Dec 1809-7 Nov 1909) was the daughter of Hannah Mather (1778-1857) and Charles Selleck (1766-1846). Hannah...
1 view0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 3 min
The man who be—and was—king. Excerpts of letters from Francis Marion Smithto Joseph Wakeman Mather
In an August 7, 1898 letter to his father, Stephen Mather wrote, “I hear that Mr. Smith is getting near the consummation of his pet...
0 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 1 min
Putting faces to names…Three generations of Mather family photographs
Before selfies, portrait photography held significant importance to families. Portrait-taking was a noteworthy and formal occasion. In...
5 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 2 min
“Dr. Hosack has departed this life… ”The Mather Connection to David Hosack
This June 2nd the Homestead will be graced with a presentation by Victoria Johnson, the author of American Eden, the acclaimed biography...
0 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 2 min
“In twenty-five words or less…”A selection of inscriptions from books in the Homestead
The Mather Homestead contains a wealth of books, from family Bibles to first editions…books from as early as 1684 through to the late...
0 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 1 min
The portrait on the wall…and the silver in the safe.
The presence and presents of Michael Floy in the Mather Homestead. When Michael Floy wrote his last will, he stated “…my portrait I leave...
1 view0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 1 min
“...gaily and profusely decorated with flags and bunting…”The 100th Anniversary of the Mather Homest
The newspaper report on “the ‘Centennial’ at the old Mather Homestead” continues “…On a nearer approach, merry voices were heard, and...
1 view0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 1 min
Montague, a 1926 Franklin, Walter Stewart, and more.
Interesting discoveries you won’t find at the Stephen Mather exhibit Later this month (October 2022), an exhibit celebrating Stephen...
0 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 1 min
“…a simple little celebration of the event…”Stephen Mather and the 150th Anniversary of the Homestea
Previous blogs looked at the 175th and 200th anniversary celebrations of the Homestead. From materials in the Homestead safe, we have a...
2 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 1 min
Make that 71…the latest Mather Plaque—Ours!“…There will never come an end to the good that he has d
According to National Park Service History (npshistory.com) seventy Mather plaques have been cast. Almost all can be found in National...
1 view0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 1 min
Ah, had the Deacon lived another 182 years…A look at the Last Will and the estate of Deacon Joseph
When an 1840 inventory of Deacon Mather’s real estate was made in conjunc-tion with settlement of his will, the land totaled 53+ acres. ...
3 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 2 min
From the Deacon to Stephen…Tracing the ownership of the Homestead from 1840 to 1905.
We recently found transcriptions of the wills of Deacon Mather, Rana Mather, Phebe Mather, and Joseph Wakeman Mather along with summaries...
3 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 1 min
Where does time go?Rediscovering Joseph Wakeman Mather’s pocket watch.
An appraisal of items in the Homestead was conducted prior to the establish- ment of the Mather Homestead Foundation. In that process,...
0 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 1 min
Flower baskets, two cats, and a cockatoo.A pause to look at the doorstops in the Mather Homestead.
Tours of the Homestead always include the highboy in the dining room and perhaps the gateleg table in the Keeping Room or the canopy bed...
0 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 2 min
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…A brief look at early generation Mather gravesites.
From Deacon Joseph Mather to Stephen Mather and his daughter Bertha Mather McPherson, burials have been at the Mather Cemetery which lies...
3 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 8
- 2 min
The Treasurer, the Mayflower, and a horse and cow. The dazzling distaff genealogy of Stephen Tyng M
From Reverend Richard Mather (1596-1669) to Stephen Mather, the “Mather” line spans nine generations. But that, quite literally, is...
2 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 6
- 2 min
“She rests at last beneath the starry skies…”. The Mather Cemetery and the children of Deacon Mather
A visit to the Homestead should include a walk or drive by The Mather Cemetery (private, not part of the Mather Homestead property),...
2 views0 comments
Donn Smith
- Feb 6
- 1 min
A Tree Grows in Darien. Does it still?
Nine months after Stephen T. Mather’s death, the National Life Conservation Society organized a Tree Planting at the Mather Homestead in...
3 views0 comments
Docent Donn Smith has been busy poking around the attic of the Mather Homestead and he's found treasures abound! Check out his blogs which document his findings including artifacts fro 250 years of American life - a bible from 1743, a girl's dress from the 1860's, Stephen Mather's camera, a love letter written by Stephen Mather to his wife ❤️ and more. Oh the stories they tell!
bottom of page