The Mather Homestead teen board is excited to announce the topic for their third annual Teen Essay Contest.

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The topic:  What makes a house a home? 

About the Mather Homestead:

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The Mather Homestead, Darien's historic home on the four corners of Brookside and Stephen Mather Roads, was built in 1778 by Deacon Joseph Mather, son of Moses Mather, the first minister of the First Congregational Church of Darien and a fiery patriot. The house was famously raided by Tories during the Revolutionary War. It was later the home of Stephen Tyng Mather, an avid conservationist and the first Director of the National Park Service. Following Stephen's death in 1930, the house was lived in by his daughter, Bertha Mather McPherson, one of the first female architects in Connecticut and a founding member of the Darien Historical Society.  She filled the house with a collection of period antiques and tended the gardens while raising her three children (the sixth generation of Mathers to live in the home). The home became a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.  In 2017, the Mather Homestead was deemed a "Protected Town Landmark" by the town of Darien and donated by the McPherson siblings to a newly created foundation to be operated as a museum dedicated to community education. 

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The Mather Homestead Foundation Mission Statement:

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​The Mather Homestead Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of the Mather Homestead, built in 1778 and enjoyed by seven generations of Mather descendants, as a treasured place for public education and enjoyment.  The Foundation is committed to raising awareness of the Homestead’s unique history, dating back to the Revolutionary War, and Stephen Tyng Mather’s legacy as an important conservationist and the founder of our modern National Parks System.