< Back Book Club: The Scarlet Letter Weds., March 2, 7 pm A secret affair, a public shaming, and a feminist awakening … written in 1850 and set in colonial America, the scarlet letter is STILL a story in which we can recognize ourselves. Even if you have not recently read the book, Samantha Gault will provide excerpts from the book and lead us through an interesting discussion of this controversial story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through and affair and will not reveal her lover's identity. Come join the conversation which will be led by our resident American literature guru Samantha Gault! Please buy local! Books available at Barrett Bookstore. Previous Next

England, first half 19th century. Fruitwood, iron hinges and escutcheons, wooden stems. Pear: 6 ½" h. x 4 ½" d.; Apple: 5" h. x 4 ¼" d. < Back Apple and Pear Form Tea Caddies First Floor - Parlor Other Decorative Arts England, first half 19th century. Fruitwood, iron hinges and escutcheons, wooden stems. Pear: 6 ½" h. x 4 ½" d.; Apple: 5" h. x 4 ¼" d. Tea caddies are turned to apple and pear shapes with well-executed carved stems, each has a hinged top and lock. Condition is good; pear shows some staining around base. Previous Next

< Back Honey Tasting with the Queen Bee Thurs., April 28, 7 pm Honey + Wine + Cheese + Fun Join us at the Homestead for wine tasting with Queen Bee C. Marina Marchese, a self proclaimed honey sommelier. Tasting will include an informative lesson on honey, plus tasting of food with wine and food pairings. About the queen honeybee Marina .. As the undisputed expert and queen bee of honey, C. Marina Marchese is a beekeeper, author and a member of the Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey, where she received her formal training as a honey sensory expert. Marina is the author of The Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting and Pairing Honey with a Guide to More than 30 Varietals (with Kim Flottum), Honey for Dummies (with Howland Blackiston) and her beekeeping memoir Honeybee Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper. In 2011, Marina establish The American Honey Tasting Society as the leading resource for honey sensory education in the United States. An avid world traveler, Marina has had the unique opportunity to taste hundreds of new and old world honeys maintaining an impressive private library of honey samples. A passionate and dynamic, sought-after speaker, Marina shares her knowledge in animated and inspiring presentations —leaving audiences with a fascinating view of the importance of honey bees to our food chain and the gastronomic delight of varietal honeys. A graduate of The School of Visual Arts, Marina combines a successful career in honey with her background in arts. Marina coined the term 'Honey Sommelier' in her first book Honeybee Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper published in 2009. TICKETS ON SALE SOON! Previous Next

... as told by Gordon Hastings

Designed by famed architect Walter Burleigh Griffin, this garden has evolved under the care of multiple generations of Mathers. < Back The Garden Listen to Audio Tour for this location: 00:00 / 00:54 Designed by famed architect Walter Burleigh Griffin, this garden has evolved under the care of multiple generations of Mathers. Image Gallery A photo of the Mather gardens today A photo of the garden in 1953 1938 flower planting plan for the sunken garden Site Description The sunken garden was added by Stephen Mather in 1909. He hired Walter Burleigh Griffin, an award winning architect who worked closely with Frank Lloyd Wright, to for its design. In 1911, Griffin entered a competition to design Australia's new capital city, Canberra. With impressive The sunken garden was added by Stephen Mather in 1909. He hired Walter Burleigh Griffin, an award winning architect who worked closely with Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago, for its design. In 1911, Griffin entered a competition to design Australia's new capital city, Canberra. With impressive renderings by his new wife, Marion Mahoney Griffin, also an architect. The design won and he went on to design Canberra and have a successful career in Australia. Upon Stephen Mather’s death in 1930, his daughter Bertha inherited the house. She hired Lillian Egleston from Elizabeth, New Jersey to modify the sunken garden to be a bit less formal in 1938. In 1962, she added a terrace around the well and additional plantings with designs by Charles Middeleer. In recent years, 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. Please proceed to Site #4: The Cottage - the structure across the driveway. Previous Next

We took not one, but two visits to Weir Farm (October 2021 and 2022) to learn about Connecticut's only National Park. Weir Farm is a National Historical Park located in Ridgefield and Wilton, Connecticut. It commemorates the life and work of American impressionist painter J. Alden Weir and other artists who stayed at the site or lived there, to include Childe Hassam, Albert Pinkham Ryder, John Singer Sargent, and John Twachtman. Set amidst more than 60 acres of painterly woods, fields, and waterways, Weir described his home as the "Great Good Place." Weir’s farm is a national legacy to American Impressionism, the creative spirit, and historic preservation. < Back Weir Farm - 2021, 2022 We took not one, but two visits to Weir Farm (October 2021 and 2022) to learn about Connecticut's only National Park. Weir Farm is a National Historical Park located in Ridgefield and Wilton, Connecticut. It commemorates the life and work of American impressionist painter J. Alden Weir and other artists who stayed at the site or lived there, to include Childe Hassam, Albert Pinkham Ryder, John Singer Sargent, and John Twachtman. Set amidst more than 60 acres of painterly woods, fields, and waterways, Weir described his home as the "Great Good Place." Weir’s farm is a national legacy to American Impressionism, the creative spirit, and historic preservation. 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 Elizabeth W. Chilton Education Center was completed in 2020 in order to provide a space for public education and enjoyment at the Mather Homestead thanks to the generosity of the Chilton family and many other donors.

Maple, pine; early 19th century and later New England; 28 ¼” h. x 28” w. x 14 ½” d. < Back Sheraton One-Drawer Stand Second Floor - NW Sitting Room Furniture and Hard Furnishings Maple, pine; early 19th century and later New England; 28 ¼” h. x 28” w. x 14 ½” d. Top (replaced), over long drawer with glass pulls (replaced); turned legs ending in double-swelled feet. Previous Next

A MH group ferried over the Sound to Setauket, LI where we learned about the Culper Spy Ring. The spies were loyal patriots who provided critical information about the Redcoats (British) to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Setauket native Anna Smith Strong, known in the Spy Ring as "Nancy," provided information via her clothes line! Depending on what color petticoat, or how many handkerchiefs Anna hung on the line, a different message was conveyed! < Back Setauket, LI - June, 2023 A MH group ferried over the Sound to Setauket, LI where we learned about the Culper Spy Ring. The spies were loyal patriots who provided critical information about the Redcoats (British) to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Setauket native Anna Smith Strong, known in the Spy Ring as "Nancy," provided information via her clothes line! Depending on what color petticoat, or how many handkerchiefs Anna hung on the line, a different message was conveyed! 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

< Back Trivia Night: American History TBD Are you as smart as a fifth grader? Test out your American history knowledge at our trivia night! Previous Next

< Back Rosé and Roses Thurs., June 16, 6:30 pm Join us for rosé and nibbles in the beautiful Mather Homestead garden! Previous Next

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. < Back The Field Listen to Audio Tour for this location: 00:00 / 00:54 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. Image Gallery A photo of the field and playhouse today A photo of the field and playhouse in 1974 A photo of Stephen Mather holding a hay rake for putting the hay on a horse-drawn wagon, circa 1910 A photo of Stephen Mather McPherson on a horse pulling a plow, circa 1945 Site Description The field was once part of the 100 acre self-sustaining farm operated by the Mather family during the 18th and 19th centuries. Almost everything the family needed came from the farm including the wood to heat the house, vegetables such as carrots, turnips, wheat, and corn, and farm animals providing milk, eggs and meat. They even grew flax which they turned into fabric to make their own clothes. Later, the property included fruit orchards bearing apples, apricots, peaches and prunes, plus grapes that were used to make their own wine which was called ‘Mather Wine’. Today, the Mather Homestead property comprises seven acres which is surrounded by another 15 acres of the original Homestead property which is managed by the Darien Land Trust. The land is home to many native plants and animals including deer, turkeys, beavers, coyotes, hawks and more. Please proceed to the Site #6: The Playhouse in the Field. Previous Next