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A list of all events at the Mather Homestead can be found here! MH Calendar of Events Calendar of upcoming events below We also offer tours Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 9a to 2p and Yoga every Wednesday and Saturday at 9:30 am May 2026 Today Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 26 27 28 7:00 PM Painting Patriotism, Healing Wounds: The Art of Col. John Trumbull with Walter W. Woodward 29 30 1 2 2:00 PM The British are Coming! Revolutionary War Reenactment at The Mather Homestead 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 9:00 AM Field Trip to Yale's Beinecke Library and University Art Gallery 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 7:00 PM It Girl BOOK GROUP - Keep scrolling for garden tea tickets! 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 11:30 AM The Mather Homestead's 6th Annual Garden Tea 5 6

Glacier County, MT < Back Glacier Glacier County, MT 1910 Established: Size: 1,013,322 acres Visitors: 2,908,458 in 2022 Summary Wildlife Sounds of the Park Things to Do When to Visit Ties to Stephen Mather Fun Fact Previous Next

Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson < Back Gordon Wood - April 24, 2019 Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Previous Next

We invite you and friends to join us for a tour and tea at the Mather Homestead! Groups are invited to visit the Homestead from 10 to 11:30 am on a weekday. Tea (or coffee), scones, and muffins followed by a tour of the homestead. By appointment. TOUR AND TEA We invite you and friends to join us for a tour and tea at the Mather Homestead! Groups are invited to visit the Homestead from 10 to 11:30 am on a weekday. Tea (or coffee if you prefer), scones and muffins followed by a tour of the homestead. By appointment. $20 per person. Please email us to arrange a date.

Preservation is job #1 to ensure that generations to come will be able to enjoy this remarkable Registered National Historic Landmark. Preservation projects include restoring buildings as well as transitioning the buildings and collection from "home" to "museum" and taking the necessary measures to protect and preserve as stewards of this collection. PRESERVATION Preservation is job #1 to ensure that generations to come will be able to enjoy this remarkable Registered National Historic Landmark. Preservation projects include restoring buildings as well as transitioning the buildings and collection from "home" to "museum" and taking the necessary measures to protect and preserve as stewards of this collection. 1778 House Restoration In 2022, the Mather Homestead Foundation commissioned a "Condition Assessment" of the historic house and other buildings on the property. The work was completed by Architectural Preservation Studios with the support of a grant from the Connecticut State Preservation Office. The resulting 152 page document concluded that while the ~250 year old house was well maintained by the Mather-McPherson family, there is still much work to be done to keep in the house in shape for generations to come with projects totaling $400-500,000. In 2023, the Foundation hired Scholar's Painting and Restoration to begin the first phase of the restoration project, which will be completed in 2024. MORE Collection The Mather Homestead Collection consists of antiques, artwork, artifacts and more which were enjoyed by the Mather Homestead for generations. The Foundation recently hired a consultant to conduct a "collections assessment" report. The report includes many recommendations which we will be implementing to preserve our collection for generations to come. COLLECTION Archives & Donn's Blog The Mather Homestead Foundation is uncovering and preserving stories of the past. The Collection includes six generations of papers which were carefully stored by Bertha Mather in the 1778 attic. These documents are now sorted and cataloged in our "archiving room" thanks to Docent Donn Smith. He has been pouring through these documents and capturing their stories in his "blog". A favorite is the story of Stephen Mather blowing up an unsightly sawmill with TNT on his daughter, Bertha's birthday! DONN'S BLOG Playhouse Restoration The Playhouse which was enjoyed by generations of Mathers was in disrepair and unsuitable for children. The Mather Homestead Foundation completed the renovation of the playhouse in 2023. The playhouse can now be a place of learning and play for future generations of children. Many thanks to the Junior Board for leading this project, to Creative Building (Dan Lamontagne) for contributing your time and resources to complete the project, the many donors who donated, and finally Jenny Gjervold who decorated the playhouse for play! MORE

This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. < Back 1778 Home This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Previous Next

The Mather Homestead Foundation is overseen by the Board of Directors: Chair: Richard L. Chilton, Jr., Stephen Berger, Diane Boston, Meredith Edwards, Jennifer L. Foster, Carol Glassmeyer, Ania Janis, Ronald LaMorte, Maeve McGovern, Ginger Morgan, Penny Rashin, John Sini, Tammy Sload, Lauren Swenson, Tiffany Van Elslander. Other boards include: Advisory Board, Junior Board, Teen Board. MATHER HOMESTEAD HIGH SCHOOL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES TEEN BOARD The Mather Homestead Teen Board offers high school students with an interest in history an opportunity to both contribute to and learn from the Mather Homestead, including its rich collection of original documents and antiques. MORE MH Teen Board 2022-23 SPRING INTERN PROGRAM High School seniors participating in Darien High School and New Canaan High School's intern programs are invited to apply for our internship. MORE MH Interns 2023

HIDDEN EVENTS Vinyasa yoga with Mary Ann - Purchase a Ten-Pack Ticket Here Date and time is TBD More info RSVP Exhibit - Bertha Mather McPherson: Visionary Preservationist By appointment More info RSVP Exhibit: Stephen Mather and the National Parks by appointment More info RSVP

Witches in Connecticut! < Back Witches in Connecticut - October 25, 2023 Witches in Connecticut! Previous Next

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235 mi S of Midland, TX < Back Big Bend 235 mi S of Midland, TX 1944 Established: Size: 801,163 acres Visitors: 463,832 in 2019 Summary Big Bend National Park, located in southwest Texas along the border with Mexico, is a vast and diverse wilderness area renowned for its dramatic landscapes, diverse ecosystems, and rich cultural history. Established in 1944, the park encompasses over 800,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert terrain, encompassing the sweeping Chisos Mountains, the rugged canyons carved by the Rio Grande, and the vast desert expanses dotted with unique flora and fauna. Visitors to Big Bend can explore a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, birdwatching, and river rafting along the Rio Grande. The park is also home to a rich cultural heritage, with evidence of human occupation dating back thousands of years, including Native American rock art sites and historic structures from the region's ranching and mining past. With its stunning natural beauty and abundant recreational opportunities, Big Bend National Park offers visitors an unforgettable experience amid the remote and untamed landscapes of the American Southwest. Wildlife Big Bend National Park is home to a diverse array of wildlife, adapted to the rugged and varied landscapes of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Rio Grande corridor. Mammals such as desert bighorn sheep, javelinas, and mountain lions roam the park's remote mountain ranges and desert valleys, while smaller mammals like foxes, rabbits, and coyotes are also common sightings. Birdwatchers can spot over 450 species of birds, including colorful songbirds, majestic raptors like golden eagles and red-tailed hawks, and the endangered peregrine falcon. The park's waterways, including the Rio Grande and its tributaries, provide habitat for diverse aquatic species, including fish, turtles, and river otters. Reptiles such as rattlesnakes, lizards, and desert tortoises thrive in the arid desert environment, while amphibians like toads and frogs can be found near water sources. With its rich biodiversity and unique ecosystems, Big Bend National Park offers visitors unparalleled opportunities to observe and appreciate the wonders of the natural world. Sounds of the Park Things to Do Visitors to Big Bend National Park can go hiking, kayaking in the Rio Grande, biking, camping, stargazing, birdwatching, and more. Though most activities are open year-round, be prepared for extreme heat if visiting during the summer, and don't over exert. When to Visit Big Bend has a hot desert climate, with hot summers and mild to warm winters. Precipitation is rare year-round. Warm, pleasant weather tends to occur most in the spring (March-April) and fall (October-November), though crowds also tend to be highest at this time. To avoid crowds, the best time to visit during these seasons would be in the middle of the week rather than on weekends. Ties to Stephen Mather Big Bend National Park has a Stephen Mather plaque located on the Window View Trail in the Chisos Basin. Fun Fact The Chisos Mountains, located in Big Bend National Park, are the only mountain range in the U.S. to be located entirely within the confines of a National Park. Previous Next

Bertha Mather McPherson (1906-1993) was the only child of Stephen and Jane Mather. One of the first female architects in Connecticut and a charter member of the Darien Historical Society, she owned the Homestead from her father's death in 1930 until her death in 1993. BERTHA MATHER MCPHERSON (1906-1993) Bertha, the only child of Stephen Tyng Mather and Jane Thacker Floy, was born in Chicago, IL on August 10, 1906 but spent summers at her family homestead in Darien, Connecticut. She graduated in 1928 from Vassar College and went on to the Cambridge School of Landscape and Domestic Architecture, a program operated by Smith College, earning a master's degree in 1933. Bertha became one of the first female architects in Connecticut and designed the house across the street (Brookside Road) for a relative. It was recognized in House Beautiful with an honorable mention. The house is currently owned by a Mather descendant. Bertha became a champion for preservation. She was a charter member of the Darien Historical Society. In that role, she helped to move the Bates-Scofield house to its current location and identified historic homes in Darien, publicizing them through the local Darien News Review. Recognizing the important role of her father as first Director of the National Park Service, and the ~200 year history of the Mather Homestead, she successfully advocated for the Mather Homestead to become a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Also inspired by her father's conservation efforts, Bertha was long associated with the Student Conservation Association, a nonprofit educational organization that places student volunteers with national parks, forests and wildlife refuges. Bertha inherited the Mather Homestead from her father when he passed in 1930. She married Edward Reynolds McPherson in 1932 and raised their children, Anne McPherson Tracy, Stephen Mather McPherson and Jane McPherson Nickerson in the Mather Homestead where she lived until her death in 1993. Edward McPherson lived in the home until his death in 2002. Bertha lovingly cared for the home and gardens from 1930 to 1993, keeping its historical character and adding many 18th century antiques and artifacts which still rest in the home. Today, it stands as she left it - a ~250 year home filled with stories of a six generation family that made its mark on American history. Anne, Jane and Stephen McPherson, children of Bertha Mather McPherson House Beautiful, 1936 Young Bertha Mather at the Mather Homestead