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Self-Guided Tour 1778 Homestead The Mather Homestead was built in 1778 during the Revolutionary War. It became a Registered National Historic Landmark in 1963 and was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 02:14 The Well The well served as the source of water for the house—as well as a crucial hiding place during Tory raids. Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 00:37 The Garden Designed by famed architect Walter Burleigh Griffin, this garden has evolved under the care of multiple generations of Mathers. Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 00:54 The Cottage Built in 1927, the cottage built here was replaced by a guest house in 1936, which still stands today. Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 00:31 The Field This field is the site of what was once a 100 acre self-sustaining farm managed by the Mather family which provided everything the family needed centuries ago. Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 00:54 The Playhouse Recently renovated, this playhouse serves as place of fun for generations past, present, and future. Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 00:43 The Barn The history of Mather barns goes back well over 100 years. The most recent iteration, the Elizabeth W. Chilton Education Center, was built in 2020. Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 01:26 The Root Cellar The root cellar was an essential component of a colonial farm in Connecticut. Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 01:08 Stephen Mather The grandson of Joseph Mather, Stephen was the first director of the National Park Service, and more than doubled the park system's land area. Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 02:40 The End Thank you for visiting the Mather Homestead! Read More Listen to Audio 00:00 / 00:32

Eagle Scout Projects Abhilash Polaki Nature Trail, Bench & Sign Read More Connor Blenke Kitchen Garden Read More Dennis Glassmeyer Outdoor Classroom & Seating Read More Owen Miller Woodshed Read More

63 National Parks Acadia 50 mi SE of Bangor, ME Read More American Samoa 2,600 mi SW of Honolulu, HI Read More Arches 230 mi S of Salt Lake City, UT Read More Badlands 75 mi SE of Rapid City, SD Read More Big Bend 235 mi S of Midland, TX Read More Biscayne 10 mi S of Miami, FL Read More Black Canyon of the Gunnison 12 mi E of Montrose, CO Read More Bryce Canyon 268 mi S of Salt Lake City, UT Read More Canyonlands 244 mi SE of Salt Lake City, UT Read More Capitol Reef 220 mi S of Salt Lake City, UT Read More Carlsbad Caverns 145 mi NE of El Paso, TX Read More Channel Islands 93 mi W of Los Angeles, CA Read More

Item List 1778 Home This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Read More Barn This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Read More Gardens This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Read More Playhouse Read More

We introduced our "Music at Mather" series with the classical sounds of the Con Fuoco String Quartet. These accomplished young musicians, Ari Matsushita, Kay McIlhenny, Josh Bustamente and Ami Matsushita, performed an hour long program including: String Quartet in G Major KV 156, Mozart; String Quartet no. 11 in F Major Op. 96 "American," Dvorak; and Eine Kleine Nacht Musik in G Major KV 525, Mozart. < Back Con Fuoco String Quartet - October 4, 2020 We introduced our "Music at Mather" series with the classical sounds of the Con Fuoco String Quartet. These accomplished young musicians, Ari Matsushita, Kay McIlhenny, Josh Bustamente and Ami Matsushita, performed an hour long program including: String Quartet in G Major KV 156, Mozart; String Quartet no. 11 in F Major Op. 96 "American," Dvorak; and Eine Kleine Nacht Musik in G Major KV 525, Mozart. Previous Next

We traveled to downtown NYC for a tour and lunch at Fraunces Tavern, a historical landmark and the oldest bar in the city. It was the watering hole for many of the founding fathers. George Washington gathered his troops there to thank them for their service after the British troops left America. < Back Fraunces Tavern, October 10, 2023 We traveled to downtown NYC for a tour and lunch at Fraunces Tavern, a historical landmark and the oldest bar in the city. It was the watering hole for many of the founding fathers. George Washington gathered his troops there to thank them for their service after the British troops left America. Previous Next

Darien's Bicentennial Celebration included a reenactment of the 1781 Tory raid of the Mather Homestead and a skirmish between Patriots and Loyalists, plus a cannon demonstration! < Back Heritage Day - October 23, 2021 Darien's Bicentennial Celebration included a reenactment of the 1781 Tory raid of the Mather Homestead and a skirmish between Patriots and Loyalists, plus a cannon demonstration! Previous Next

South-Central Pennsylvania, 1775-1800. Mahogany, unidentified secondary woods; 38" h. x 20 ⅜" w. x 20" d. < Back Side Chair Second Floor - SE Bedroom Furniture and Hard Furnishings South-Central Pennsylvania, 1775-1800. Mahogany, unidentified secondary woods; 38" h. x 20 ⅜" w. x 20" d. With a pierced and relief-carved splat and crest rail with an oculus at the top and looped strands near the bottom. Splat design is English in origin but copies may be found in examples on chairs labeled by Philadelphia maker, Benjamin Randolph. Unlike many Philadelphia chairs, side rails are not tenoned through the rear stiles. Corner blocks within the seat frame are vertically grained. Straight Marlborough front legs, H-stretchers. (Twentieth century needlework upholstery was not removed to examine the separate slip seat.) “II” is chiseled into the inside of rear rail. Minor repairs to the splat. Previous Next

Mahogany and veneer; circa 1825-1840. American; 28 ¾” h. x 21” w. x 17” d. < Back Empire Three-Drawer Worktable Second Floor - NW Sitting Room Furniture and Hard Furnishings Mahogany and veneer; circa 1825-1840. American; 28 ¾” h. x 21” w. x 17” d. A molded top over three ogee graduated drawers with book-matched veneer, glass knobs; ring-turned and block legs ending in casters. Few small veneer losses, but generally good condition. Previous Next

American Vistas - from the Hudson River School to the National Parks < Back ArtScapes Robin Hoffman - Jan. 18, 2023 American Vistas - from the Hudson River School to the National Parks Previous Next

Brass; 19 ½” h. x 28” w.; late 19th century. < Back Georgian Style Six-Arm Chandelier First Floor - Dining Room Other Decorative Arts Brass; 19 ½” h. x 28” w.; late 19th century. Scrolled S-curve arms with flared cups. Previous Next

Portrait: Pastel on paper; 18 ½” h. x 13 ¾” w. (sight size). Letter-book: Brown ink on wove paper, 6 ¼” x 8” sheets; 11 sheets, plus three stamped, folded, and postmarked family letters, 3” x 5”. < Back Early American Portrait, Margaret Henderson and Letter-Book Archive First Floor - Parlor Fine Art Portrait: Pastel on paper; 18 ½” h. x 13 ¾” w. (sight size). Letter-book: Brown ink on wove paper, 6 ¼” x 8” sheets; 11 sheets, plus three stamped, folded, and postmarked family letters, 3” x 5”. In half pose profile, a young Margaret Henderson with upswept hair style, in a high-waisted blue gown with double white neck ruffle, against a grey ground. Portrait is well executed and in very good condition. In period gilded molded frame, glazed. Circa 1825-1830. Together with Margaret Henderson’s (b. 1805) Schoolgirl Letter-book, dating over a period of three months in 1820 while she attended the Linden Hall School in Lititz, Pennsylvania. [Founded in 1746, the Linden Hall School is the oldest day and boarding school for girls in the United States.] Linden Hall School confirms from their archives that Margaret Henderson was fifteen years old when she enrolled at the school in 1820. The letter-book, containing a series of weekly letters to Margaret’s parents, and three family letters to her over a three month period, October to December 1820, comprises an important record of life for a teenage schoolgirl in rural Pennsylvania in the early nineteenth century. Excerpts, for example, detail the difficulties of Margaret’s buggy transport traveling from Shippensburg to Lititz, Pennsylvania, a journey of two days and about 80 miles. In another, she writes of her loneliness and longing to hear news from her family. Another letter describes the distressful news received by her friend at the school of the accidental death of a brother. In a letter from Margaret’s mother, she writes of Margaret’s sister giving birth alone with no one to assist other than “the girl” (presumably, a servant), and of the sister’s poor condition and potential impending death as a result of the childbirth. Documents such as these letters, along with a portrait of the writer serve as an important historical record, capturing details of daily life in early nineteenth century America—these are rare artifacts and survivors. Previous Next