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The Mather Homestead property originally consisted of 100 acres in 1778, which is what it took for a family to sustain itself. When Stephen Tyng Mather acquired the property in 1906, it consisted of 22 acres. In 1909, Stephen Mather hired renowned architect and landscape artist Walter Burley Griffin to create the Homestead's sunken garden that still exists today. THE MATHER PROPERTY AND GARDENS The Mather Homestead property originally consisted of 100 acres, which is what it took for a family to sustain itself. The working farm included vegetables, flax and wheat and farm animals providing milk, eggs and meat. By 1906, when Stephen Tyng Mather became the sole owner of the Homestead, the property consisted of 22 acres. Stephen, his wife Jane, and their baby daughter, Bertha, first occupied the house in the summer of 1907. In addition to making changes to the house, they added a sunken garden in 1909 which still exists today. Walter Burleigh Griffin Garden 1909 Stephen Mather hired Walter Burley Griffin, who was both an architect a nd a landscape architect, to design the sunken garden. As a member of "The Prairie School," he worked with Frank Lloyd Wright and oversaw the construction on many of Wright's houses. Wright met Stephen Mather when they were both members of the Prairie Club of Chicago which, among other things, sought to "raise public awareness of special areas and to create an interest in their conservation." In 1911, an international competition was held for the design of a capital for Australia. Walter and his partner and wife, Marion Mahoney Griffin, entered the competition and won. They emigrated to Australia in 1914 and did not return. MORE ON DONN's BLOG 1909 Sunken Garden designed by Walter Burley Griffin Pictures by Herbert W. Gleason. cont. 1909 Sunken Garden designed by Walter Burley Griffin Pictures by Herbert W. Gleason. 1/2 Lillian Egleston Garden 1938 Upon S tephen Mather's death in 1930, his daughter, Bertha, inherited the house. She changed the sunken garden to be a bit less formal in 1938. The plans were prepared by Lilian Egleston of Elizabeth, NJ, where Bertha's mother grew up. MHA 1951 uk garden P McPherson # 0 - Egleston plan 1938 MHA 1953-05 uk garden flowers P MHA 1951 uk garden P 1/11 Charles Middeleer Terrace 1962 Berth a added the terrace a round the well and additional plantings in 1962 with plans by Charles Middeleer. Bertha cared for the gardens until her death in 1993. MHA 1969-05 uk house from garden P MHA 1969-05 uk well P MHA 1969-05 uk well and garden P MHA 1969-05 uk house from garden P 1/8 Elizabeth W. Chilton Education Center Garden 2020 In 2020, a new barn-like structure, the "Elizabeth W. Chilton Education Center, " was added to the property to provide a place for education. The Mather Homestead Foundation is grateful to the Garden Club of Darien, who generously contributed foundation plantings to the barn. The Garden Club of Darien selected plantings with considerations of sunlight, water, deer resistance, pollinator attraction, color, size and other growing conditions. Plants include Ilex, Viburnum, Spirea, and more. The Garden Club of Darien and Mather Homestead are grateful for the expertise of Ungemack-Mccool Landscape Associates, Inc. for their help with this project. "The Barn" Plants courtesy of the Garden Club of Darien Cont. "The Barn" 1/3 Mather Garden Today Fast forward to today. The Mather Homestead gardens were quite unkempt when the Mather Homestead Foundation took over the property in 2017. Thanks to the efforts of Mather Homestead volunteers, in particular Andy Huntington, the gardens have been restored and beautified. In addition to leading extensive clean up of the gardens, Andy has incorporated roses, peonies and other herbaceous perennials to give the garden more visual appeal throughout the spring and summer season. Thank you Andy and our other volunteers! Cultural Landscape Report 2023-24 In 2023, The Mather Homestead Foundation hired Heritage Landscapes to conduct a Cultural Landscape Report of the property. T he report will provide a better understanding of the property, its history and usage, and inform a Master Plan for the future. If you are interested in helping our organization with our gardens, please send us an email he re! GET IN TOUCH!

The well served as the source of water for the house—as well as a crucial hiding place during Tory raids. < Back The Well Listen to Audio Tour for this location: 00:00 / 00:37 The well served as the source of water for the house—as well as a crucial hiding place during Tory raids. Image Gallery Photo of the well today 1929 photo of the well with the sunken garden in the background Site Description The well was the source of water for the house when the home was built in 1778. In addition to being used as a water source, it had a very special use as a place to hide valuables from the Tories. Sarah Mather hid over 100 pounds of clothing and silver belonging to both the Mather family and their neighbors. Clothing was very valuable as they made it themselves from the flax and other materials grown on the property. The Tories raided this house in 1781. They stole clothes, animals, silver and other valuables. Some silver that was hidden in a secret compartment inside the house was not stolen. Please proceed to Site #3: The Garden - which is only a few feet away. Previous Next

The Mather Homestead was proud to host the first Darien Alumni Art Show showcasing the works of local young artists. < Back Darien Alumni Art Show 2021 The Mather Homestead was proud to host the first Darien Alumni Art Show showcasing the works of local young artists. Previous Next

Maple, rush seat. New England; 41 ½” x 22” x 16”; circa 1750-1780, and later. < Back Queen Anne Armchair First Floor - Dining Room Furniture and Hard Furnishings Maple, rush seat. New England; 41 ½” x 22” x 16”; circa 1750-1780, and later. Yoke crest rail over a Queen Anne solid splat, woven rush seat; ring-and-ball front stretcher, Spanish (or brush) feet. Condition: Considerable restoration: new front feet; rear feet have been ended-out. Shape of arms is inconsistent with the form, and thus determined to be replacements. Previous Next

Our first exhibit in the Elizabeth W. Chilton Education Center explores the life and legacy of Stephen Tyng Mather (1867-1930), the first Director of the National Park Service and the owner of the Homestead from 1906 to 1930. Stephen Mather's legacy is memorialized on over 70 plaques in parks and other places across the U.S., including the Mather Homestead. STEPHEN MATHER AND THE NATIONAL PARKS 2023 EXHIBIT Our first exhibit in the Elizabeth W. Chilton Education Center explores the life and legacy of Stephen Tyng Mather (1867-1930), the first Director of the National Park Service and the owner of the Homestead from 1906 to 1930. Stephen Mather's legacy is memorialized on over 70 plaques in parks and other places across the U.S., including the Mather Homestead. The plaque reads: He laid the foundation of the national park service, defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good that he has done. The exhibit is open by appointment. Please email info@matherhomestead.org The main exhibit is geared towards adults but our "Kids Corner" has learning and fun for kids of all ages. Many thanks to the exhibit sponsors (right)!

Thomas S. Derby (c. 1786-1852; working 1812-1852). Middletown, Connecticut, 1835-1850 < Back Pewter Teapot First Floor - Dining Room Ceramics and Glass and Objects of Vertu Thomas S. Derby (c. 1786-1852; working 1812-1852). Middletown, Connecticut, 1835-1850 The wide-bellied teapot with narrow flared neck; a hinged conical lid with button finial. The S-curved spout opposes the C-scroll handle; resting on a narrow flared foot. Maker’s touchmark: T.S.DERBY at center outside bottom. An engraved inscription added at some undocumented time reads: Joseph Mather / AND Sarah Scott / Married May 29-1777. Explanation for engraving: Commemorating the marriage of Joseph Mather (1753-1840) and Sarah Scott (1758-1843), who together had 10 surviving children.] Previous Next

The Mather Family has a long history in New England and is traced back to Lowton, Lancaster, England. The Reverend Richard Mather (1596-1669) and his wife, Catherine, and four children, Samuel, Timothy, Nathaniel, and Joseph, traveled to New England on the ship James in 1635. THE EARLY MATHER FAMILY The Mather Family has a long history in New England and is traced back to Lowton, Lancaster, England. The Reverend Richard Mather (1596-1669) and his wife, Catherine, and four children, Samuel, Timothy, Nathaniel and Joseph, traveled to New England on the James in 1635, fifteen years after the Mayflower set sail. They were part of the very first mass immigration to America in what would later be called The Great Migration taking place between 1630 and 1635. Over that time some 20,000 people, mostly Puritans seeking relief from the persecution of King Charles, left England bound for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Mather family established a homestead in Dorcester near Boston and quickly became part of the religious community there. After their arrival in America, Richard and his new wife Sarah, who he married in 1656, had two more sons, the youngest being Increase Mather. Increase Mather, and his son, Cotton, were Harvard-educated Puritan ministers. They were both well known intellectuals. They were also known for their involvement in the Salem Witch Trials in 1692-93. Richard and Catherine’s son, Timothy, born in 1628, is the great-great grandfather of Deacon Joseph Mather. Unlike four of his brothers, Timothy did not become a minister. To this day, his descendants refer to him as “The Farmer Mather.” His son, Richard, moved to Lyme, Connecticut where he established a family farm. Richard named his son, Timothy after his grandfather. Captain Timothy served with the colonists in the wars with the Pequot Indians. His son, Moses Mather, grew up on the family farm, but was not destined to become another Mather farmer. He enrolled at Yale in New Haven and graduated in 1739 and became a Congregational Minister. In 1739 Moses struck out to what was then Stamford, Connecticut, in an area now known as Darien. Moses had broken from the long standing Puritanism of his ancestor as had many New England clergy seeking greater freedom of religious expression and was ordained a Congregational Minister. He built a farmhouse in Darien and shortly thereafter was installed as the pastor of the First Congregational Church in Darien that had been erected in 1740. During his 60 year tenure as the pastor of the First Congregational Church, Moses was an outspoken early firebrand for the cause of independence. Moses' son, Deacon Joseph Mather married Sarah Scott of Ridgefield and inherited approximately 100 acres from his mother in 1778 and built the Mather Homestead that we know today. In this house, Joseph and Sarah raised 11 children. Three generations later, the home was owned by Stephen Mather, who we all know as the Founder of the National Park Service. In 2017, Stephen's grandchildren, Anne Floy McPherson Tracy, Stephen Mather McPherson and Jane McPherson Nickerson, generously donated the Mather Homestead to the Mather Homestead Foundation in order for it to be preserved as a historical place for education and enjoyment.

Edmonson County, KY < Back Mammoth Cave Edmonson County, KY 1941 Established: Size: 52,830 acres Visitors: 533,206 in 2018 Summary Wildlife Sounds of the Park Things to Do When to Visit Ties to Stephen Mather Fun Fact Previous Next

SUMMER SOIRÉE Saturday, May 31, 2025 Photos by Andrea Ceraso Thank you to our Sponsors! SUMMER SOLSTICE Saturday, June 22, 2024 Presented by t he Mather Homestead Junior Board: Alison Arneill l Tasha Blair l Taylor Carlson l Lauren Frank l Caitlin Griswold l Sarah Guilbride Sally Houlihan l Anna Janis l Stephanie Kramer l Paige Kyle l Sarah Henderson l Jessica Merrill Kate Piselli l Lauren Swenson l Stephanie Tucker 2023 Après Ski Thank you for helping us raise $17K for our historic Playhouse! Presented by the Mather Homestead Junior Board: Alison Arneill l Tasha Blair l Taylor Carlson l Lauren Frank l Caitlin Griswold Sarah Guilbride l Sally Houlihan l Anna Janis l Stephanie Kramer l Paige Kyle Sarah Henderson l Jessica M errill l Kate Piselli l Whitney Ranson l Lauren Swenson The historic Mather playhouse was enjoyed by generations of Mathers and is now in disrepair. Our goal is to renovate the playhouse to be the cornerstone for future generations of children to come for learning and play. Heading 4 Before After

Our fourth annual Fall Harvest Festival was a smashing success. Nearly 600 people enjoyed hay rides, a petting zoo, face painting, apple bobbing, crafts, games and music by On the Trail. We were lucky to have a beautiful day for fall fun! Photos by Katharine Calderwood. < Back Harvest Festival - October 22, 2022 Our fourth annual Fall Harvest Festival was a smashing success. Nearly 600 people enjoyed hay rides, a petting zoo, face painting, apple bobbing, crafts, games and music by On the Trail. We were lucky to have a beautiful day for fall fun! Photos by Katharine Calderwood. Previous Next

Probably American; late 18th century. 9 ¾” h. x 10 ¾” w. < Back Framed Needlework of Squirrel, Wool-on-Linen Second Floor - Guest Room Other Decorative Arts Probably American; late 18th century. 9 ¾” h. x 10 ¾” w. A beguiling work in greens, reds, yellows against a crème ground, of a squirrel in a tree, surrounded by cherries and acorns. Framed in a black-painted maple frame. Condition is good with only light discoloration of linen ground. Previous Next

England, 1821. A formulaic/pattern work, well executed, featuring figures, animals, and biblical script. < Back English 1821 “Adam and Eve” Sampler, Silk-on-Linen Second Floor - Guest Room Other Decorative Arts England, 1821. A formulaic/pattern work, well executed, featuring figures, animals, and biblical script. Along the upper section enclosed by scrolling vines: Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the lord she shall be praised. In the lower half, surrounded by animals, birds, and figures are Adam and Eve by the apple tree and the snake, and this verse: Adam and Eve. Whilest innocent in paradise were placed but soon the serpent by his while the happy paire disgraced. The maker’s stitched signature is along the bottom section: Eliza Sumner finished this work december the 8 1821 aged 9 years. Condition is good with light discoloration of linen ground. Previous Next