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93 mi W of Los Angeles, CA < Back Channel Islands 93 mi W of Los Angeles, CA 1980 Established: Size: 249,561 acres Visitors: 323,245 in 2022 Summary Channel Islands National Park, located off the coast of Southern California, comprises five rugged and ecologically diverse islands: Santa Cruz, Anacapa, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara. These islands are home to unique flora and fauna, including endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. The park offers opportunities for hiking, camping, snorkeling, and wildlife viewing, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in pristine coastal environments and explore ancient Chumash cultural sites. With its stunning landscapes, rich biodiversity, and cultural significance, Channel Islands National Park provides a remarkable escape into nature's beauty and history just a short distance from the bustling mainland. Wildlife Channel Islands National Park boasts a diverse array of wildlife, both on land and in the surrounding waters. Visitors can encounter a variety of species, including the endemic island foxes, Channel Islands spotted skunks, and island deer mice. Marine life is abundant, with the opportunity to spot dolphins, seals, sea lions, and even the occasional whale. The park is also a haven for birdwatchers, with numerous seabirds such as brown pelicans, western gulls, and the iconic California brown pelicans soaring overhead. With its rich biodiversity and unique habitats, Channel Islands National Park offers an unforgettable wildlife experience for nature enthusiasts. Sounds of the Park Things to Do Visitors to Channel Islands National Park can enjoy hiking, camping, picnicking, boating, snorkeling, surfing, whale watching, and more. Be sure to check the park website in advance to be aware of any closures that might occur. When to Visit Channel Islands National Park has a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and mild to warm, dry summers. Temperatures are consistently around the 65 degrees Fahrenheit range year round. The dry season, from April to October, is an ideal time to visit, especially towards the beginning and the end when crowds are lower. Ties to Stephen Mather The National Park Service considered establishing a national park in the Channel Islands as early as the 1920s, but Stephen Mather, who was director of the National Park Service at the time, thought a state park would be more fitting. Channel Islands National Monument was established in 1938, and it was redesignated as a national park in 1980. Fun Fact All eight of the Channel Islands became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1976. Previous Next

The Mather Homestead offers many opportunities for sponsorship. We are appreciative of your support and look forward to promoting your business! Sponsor payment may be made via check payable to "The Mather Homestead Foundation" or by credit card (link right). Please send checks to: The Mather Homestead Foundation, 19 Stephen Mather Road, Darien, CT, 06820 SUPPORT THE MATHER HOMESTEAD BY SPONSORING ONE OF OUR EVENTS! The Mather Homestead Foundation offers many opportunities for sponsorship and appreciates the support of our businesses who have contributed with financial and in kind donations. Donors are recognized in various ways - through our events, social media and publicity, and signage at the Homestead. SPONSOR OPPORTUNITY FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL 2024 Our sixth annual Fall Harvest Festival on October 26th will feature fun for the entire family including hay rides, pony rides, face painting, the red fire truck, crafts, games and this year … a visit from George Washington! Funds raised will support restoration projects at the Mather Homestead. In the past, over 500 people have attended the event over three hours. These include families with young children from Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk and surrounding towns. We are also looking for in-kind donations to our raffle and food for the event, e.g., donuts, cider, apples, and more. In-kind donors will be recognized at check in. Sponsorship offers a great marketing opportunity with the 500+ attendees! We are seeking financial sponsors for our various activities and look forward to recognizing businesses through the following: Lead sponsor $5,000: Branded Logo Banner (3' x 8') on Brookside/Stephen Mather Roads intersection for weeks leading up to event Lawn signs throughout town with brand logo Table and presence at event check-in. Product display. Other benefits below - signage at event, logo on website and event communications, recognition in 'boosted" social media, PR through local magazines and papers, email promotion to 2,000+ list. George Washington/Ponies sponsors $2,500: Prominent table and presence at event with product display. Other benefits below - signage at event, logo on website and event communications, recognition in 'boosted" social media, PR through local magazines and papers, email promotion Storytime/Hayride sponsors $1,000: Presence at event with product display. Signage at the event (e.g., “hay ride sponsored by …”) Logo prominently displayed on website and event communications according to giving level Recognition in “boosted” social media - instagram and facebook Thank you recognition in MH email to 2,000+ list. PR through magazines (e.g., Bedford New Canaan Magazine), local newspapers, Darien patch and others. Face Painting/Crafts in the Barn/Candy Land/Firetruck sponsors $500: Signage at the event (e.g., “face painting sponsored by …”) Logo prominently displayed on website and event communications according to giving level Recognition in “boosted” social media - instagram and facebook Thank you recognition in MH email to 2,000+ list. Note: firetruck sponsor - we will make donation directly to the Noroton Fire Department Pumpkin patch/Apple Bobbing/Colonial Photo "Booth" sponsors $250: Signage at the event (e.g., “pumpkin patch sponsored by …”) Logo prominently displayed on website and event communications according to giving level Recognition in “boosted” social media - instagram and facebook In-kind donations We are also looking for in-kind donations to our raffle and food for the event, e.g., donuts, cider, apples, and more. In-kind donors will be recognized at check in. SPONSOR PAYMENT via CC THANK YOU TO OUR PAST SPONSORS! JUNIOR BOARD SUMMER SOLSTICE 2024 The Junior Board welcomed 140 guests for cocktails on the patio followed by dinner in the field prepared by Ardens. A magical night! GARDEN TEA 2024 The May 30, 2024 Garden Tea welcomed 150 women for tea, lunch and a conversation with Pieter Estersohn, author of Back to the Land , and local book PR guru Nancy Sheed. FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL 2023 Our fifth annual Fall Harvest Festival welcomed families (~500 people) from Darien, New Canaan and surrounding towns to the Homestead for good old fashioned fun including a petting zoo, pumpkin decorating, face painting, crafts, fire truck rides and more! GARDEN TEA 2023 The June 1, 2023 Garden Tea welcomed over 130 women for tea, lunch and a presentation by Calvert Crary of NY/LA Flower School. APRÈS SKI 2023 Our second annual Après Ski event welcomed nearly 150 people for fun and fundraising. PLAYHOUSE RENOVATION PROJECT 2023 Our historic playhouse was enjoyed by generations of Mathers but was sadly in disrepair. Thanks to Dan Lamontagne of Creative Builders, Rings End and many other donors, the playhouse has been restored future generations of children who will come to learn and play. FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL - OCTOBER 22, 2022 We appreciate the financial support of Harbor Point Dental Group at our fourth Fall Harvest Festival. We also appreciate our in kind sponsors including Palmers Market , Stop & Shop , Stew Leonards and Cabana . Over 600 people from Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk and other surrounding towns joined us for hay rides, a petting zoo, crafts, face painting, games, tours of the Homestead, pumpkin decorating, live music and more! To inquire about 2023, please email info@matherhomestead.org or call 203-202-7602. Thank you! STEPHEN MATHER AND THE NATIONAL PARKS EXHIBIT Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Our first exhibit welcomed hundreds of people to learn more about the life and legacy of Stephen Tyng Mather, the first Director of the National Park Service and owner of the Mather Homestead from 1906 to 1930. BUILDINGS & GROUNDS! Many thanks to the businesses who provide services pro bono in order to maintain the beautiful Mather Homestead buildings & grounds: Bartlett T ree Davis Tree & Logging . SPONSORSHIP PAYMENT - THANK YOU! Sponsor payment may be made via check payable to "The Mather Homestead Foundation" or by credit card (link right). Please send checks to: The Mather Homestead Foundation 19 Stephen Mather Road Darien, CT. 06820 An acknowledgement form will be mailed to Thank you!

Northern Europe, 20th century. Walnut, pine, mirrored glass; 31" h. x 13 ¼" w. < Back Looking Glass Second Floor - SE Bedroom Other Decorative Arts Northern Europe, 20th century. Walnut, pine, mirrored glass; 31" h. x 13 ¼" w. Rectangular with a scalloped and pierced walnut-veneered crest rail, gilded appliqués at the center, a repeated motif at the veneered base. Ogee molding and parcel gilt inner edge appear to be 18th century, however the backboards exhibit little or no age, and modern wire nails appear to be the original fasteners. Previous Next

England, 1875-1925 Mahogany; 35” h. x 25” w. x 21” d. < Back Open Armchair Second Floor - SW Bedroom Furniture and Hard Furnishings England, 1875-1925 Mahogany; 35” h. x 25” w. x 21” d. Upholstered in red, with a straight crest; arms attach to S-shaped supports joining seat frame near the center of the side rails; box stretchers, and Marlborough legs. Condition is good, as possible to examine; upholstery was not removed to examine the frame. Previous Next

Fifth Annual Fall Harvest Festival! < Back Harvest Festival - October 21, 2023 Fifth Annual Fall Harvest Festival! Previous Next

The Mather Homestead was built in 1778 and has been impeccably preserved over three centuries. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. THE 1778 HOMESTEAD The Mather Homestead was built by Deacon Joseph Mather, a deacon in Middlesex Parish, in 1778 during the Revolutionary War, on land inherited by his mother, Hannah Bell. Deacon Joseph Mather lived in the house with his wife, Sarah. They raised eleven children in the Homestead. The family owned over 100 acres which is what it took to support a family of this size at that time. Their sustenance came from the family farm, from the wood to heat the house, to the fields that provided vegetables, flax and wheat and farm animals providing milk, eggs and meat. The earliest photo of the homestead, circa 1800s Stephen and Jane Mather Deacon Joseph passed the house to his wife, Sarah, in 1840. She died three years later and passed the house to Rana (1784-1880) and Phebe (1798-1886), their two daughters who never married. At Rana's death the house was passed to Ann Elizabeth Lockwood who sold it one year later to her first cousin, Joseph Wakeman Mather for $1,000. He built a barn on the property but lived most of the time in Brooklyn before moving to San Francisco to develop his business and raise his family. His son, Stephen Tyng Mather , inherited the house including 22 acres which stretched over the Norwalk town line in 1906. Stephen Mather used the home during vacations while he spent time out West, making his mark on our country by founding and as first Director of the National Park Service. The house again passed to Stephen Mather's only daughter, Bertha Floy Mather McPherson, who inherited the house in 1930 when he died. She was one of the first female architects in Connecticut and a charter member of the Darien Historical Society. She designed the house across the street (Brookside Road) for a relative. Bertha McPherson raised her three children, Stephen, Jane and Anne, in the home. They continue to reside close to Darien. The home is considered one of the finest examples of 18th century architecture, a wood frame structure with two stories plus a basement and attic. The home's chimney, originally providing warmth and a means to cook food, is at the center of the home. The original structure included a kitchen with the largest of the fireplaces, plus a dining room and parlor, both with fireplaces. Over time, a modern kitchen was added. The upstairs included two rooms in the front and a large unfinished space in the rear which was converted into bedrooms and a bathroom during the 19th century. Stephen Mather made changes to the house after he inherited it in 1906; he gave the house a more Colonial Revival appearance. In 1927, based on designs by architect Thomas Harlan Ellett, he added a porch on the side and a two story addition to the rear, and added the portico over the main entrance. The interior of the main block retained its original character through these changes, but the old kitchen space was converted into a living room. He also added a sunken garden, a caretaker's cottage (replaced later by a guest house) and a carriage barn. Today, the property consists of seven acres with the original residence, a detached garage, a guest house and a barn. The original furnishings, family heirlooms, masonry, woodwork and more have been preserved. 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 deemed a "Protected Town Landmark" and donated by the McPherson family to The Mather Homestead Foundation will preserve the property and operate a museum. The house's main fireplace which served as the kitchen A hinge on the house dating back to the 18th century THE MATHER HOMESTEAD THROUGH THE YEARS Bertha Mather McPherson's Album chronicling house changes 1778 to 1969 Owners of the Mather Homestead ... Six Generations of Mathers THE MATHER HOMESTEAD TODAY Mather Homestead Current Keeping Room Mather Homestead Current Dining Room Mather Homestead Current West Bedroom Mather Homestead Current Keeping Room 1/5 THE MATHER HOMESTEAD COLLECTION The Mather Homestead includes many pieces which are original to the home (late 18th century), pieces acquired over the centuries, and many pieces collected by Bertha Mather McPherson during the 20th century which are from the Revolutionary War period. View the collection

England or Northern Europe, 1760-1800. Walnut veneer, pine, mirrored glass; 23 ½" h. x 12" w. < Back Looking Glass Second Floor - SE Bedroom Other Decorative Arts England or Northern Europe, 1760-1800. Walnut veneer, pine, mirrored glass; 23 ½" h. x 12" w. Rectangular with a scalloped and scrolled, veneered crest; ogee-molded cross-banding surrounds the glass. Condition is good with restorations to the crest and backboard. Previous Next

England, 1875-1925. Mahogany; 36 ¾" h. x 24" w. x 26" d. < Back Open Armchair Second Floor - SE Bedroom Furniture and Hard Furnishings England, 1875-1925. Mahogany; 36 ¾" h. x 24" w. x 26" d. Upholstered in pale green; the back with slight bow; short upholstered arms, the swept arm supports join seat above Marlborough legs; H-stretchers. Note: Upholstery was not removed to examine the frame. Previous Next

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

80 mi NW of Flagstaff, AZ < Back Grand Canyon 80 mi NW of Flagstaff, AZ 1919 Established: Size: 1,217,262 acres Visitors: 4,733,705 in 2023 Summary Grand Canyon National Park, located in the southwestern United States, is a natural wonder of immense scale and beauty. Carved by the Colorado River over millions of years, the canyon's vast expanse stretches for miles, showcasing layers of rock that reveal Earth's geological history. Visitors come from all over the world to marvel at the canyon's breathtaking vistas, deep gorges, and colorful cliffs. Hiking trails wind their way along the rim and into the canyon, offering adventurers unforgettable experiences and breathtaking views. The park's diverse ecosystems support a wide variety of plant and animal life, from desert plants to elusive wildlife like bighorn sheep and California condors. Whether exploring its depths, admiring its vistas, or learning about its natural history, Grand Canyon National Park offers a truly awe-inspiring experience for all who visit. Wildlife Elk Grand Canyon rattlesnake Bighorn sheep Red-tailed hawk Grand Canyon National Park is not only renowned for its stunning geological formations but also for its diverse wildlife. Within its rugged landscape, visitors may encounter a variety of animals, including mule deer, mountain lions, and bighorn sheep. Birdwatchers are treated to sightings of majestic California condors soaring above the canyon's cliffs. The park's riparian areas along the Colorado River provide habitats for numerous species of birds, amphibians, and small mammals. Exploring the park's trails offers opportunities to observe wildlife in their natural habitats, adding an extra layer of fascination to the Grand Canyon experience. Sounds of the Park Things to Do Visitors at Grand Canyon National Park can hike, hike, ride mules, take a helicopter tour, or go rafting in the Colorado River. Note that the colder North Rim is only open to the public during the summer, while the warmer South Rim is open year round. Biking Scenic drives Rafting When to Visit Grand Canyon National Park has a desert climate with hot, dry summers and cool to cold, moderately snowy winters. Due to the park's altitude, summers are not nearly as hot as elsewhere in Arizona, although the park can get crowded during this time. For the best balance between mild weather and manageable crowds, visit in either the spring (March through May) or fall (September through November). Ties to Stephen Mather Grand Canyon National Park was established in February 1919, during Stephen Mather's tenure as director of the National Park Service. Furthermore, visitors can view the park from the south rim's Mather Point overlook. Fun Fact Grand Canyon National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Previous Next

... as told by Gordon Hastings

Wool-on-Linen, 16 ¾” h. x 16” w. (sight size). < Back American Schoolgirl Needlework 2 Second Floor - SW Bedroom Other Decorative Arts Wool-on-Linen, 16 ¾” h. x 16” w. (sight size). Crewelwork featuring red and green flowers, strawberries, and thistles against a linen ground. Embroidered in brown, UC: Worked by Rachel Thomas/ 1772. Embroidered in brown, LC: Presented to E Brooke/ 1790. Other than light discoloration of linen ground, condition and color is good. Previous Next