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FRESH OFF THE PRESS!
Docent Donn Smith has been busy poking around the attic of the Mather Homestead and he's found treasures abound! Check out his blogs which document his findings including artifacts from 250 years of American life - a bible from 1743, a girl's dress from the 1860's, Stephen Mather's camera, a love letter written by Stephen Mather to his wife ❤️ and more. Oh the stories they tell!
“Dear Father…”Excerpts of letters from Stephen Mather to Joseph Wakeman Mather
In a large, tabbed folder in the Mather Homestead attic is a collection of letters received by Joseph Wakeman Mather in the years from...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20233 min read
“…prominent in his devotion to the cause of human freedom…” An Appreciation of James Floy
On November 16, 1863 a memorial service was held for the Reverend James Floy, D.D. at the Seventh Street M.E. Church in New York City. ...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20232 min read
Wheels and deals…and a steal too?Joseph W. Mather’s horse and carriage correspondence
Among the letters received—and saved—by Joseph Wakeman Mather in the 1890s are a number that deal with buying and selling of horses,...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20232 min read
“It is a stormy dreary day…”A Letter from Emily Selleck Waterbury to Joseph Wakeman Mather
Emily Selleck Waterbury (13 Dec 1809-7 Nov 1909) was the daughter of Hannah Mather (1778-1857) and Charles Selleck (1766-1846). Hannah...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20233 min read
The man who be—and was—king. Excerpts of letters from Francis Marion Smithto Joseph Wakeman Mather
In an August 7, 1898 letter to his father, Stephen Mather wrote, “I hear that Mr. Smith is getting near the consummation of his pet...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20233 min read
Chateau du Mather…
We know that even in the very late 1800s, the Homestead was an active working farm. From receipts and letters we have found that the...
Mather Homestead Foundation
Feb 8, 20231 min read
Putting faces to names…Three generations of Mather family photographs
Before selfies, portrait photography held significant importance to families. Portrait-taking was a noteworthy and formal occasion. In...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20231 min read
“Dr. Hosack has departed this life… ”The Mather Connection to David Hosack
This June 2nd the Homestead will be graced with a presentation by Victoria Johnson, the author of American Eden, the acclaimed biography...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20232 min read
“In twenty-five words or less…”A selection of inscriptions from books in the Homestead
The Mather Homestead contains a wealth of books, from family Bibles to first editions…books from as early as 1684 through to the late...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20232 min read
The portrait on the wall…and the silver in the safe.
The presence and presents of Michael Floy in the Mather Homestead. When Michael Floy wrote his last will, he stated “…my portrait I leave...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20231 min read
“...gaily and profusely decorated with flags and bunting…”The 100th Anniversary of the Mather Homestead"
The newspaper report on “the ‘Centennial’ at the old Mather Homestead” continues “…On a nearer approach, merry voices were heard, and...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20231 min read
Montague, a 1926 Franklin, Walter Stewart, and more.
Interesting discoveries you won’t find at the Stephen Mather exhibit Later this month (October 2022), an exhibit celebrating Stephen...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20231 min read
“…a simple little celebration of the event…”Stephen Mather and the 150th Anniversary of the Homestea
Previous blogs looked at the 175th and 200th anniversary celebrations of the Homestead. From materials in the Homestead safe, we have a...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20231 min read
Make that 71…the latest Mather Plaque—Ours!“…There will never come an end to the good that he has d
According to National Park Service History (npshistory.com) seventy Mather plaques have been cast. Almost all can be found in National...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20231 min read
Ah, had the Deacon lived another 182 years…A look at the Last Will and the estate of Deacon Joseph
When an 1840 inventory of Deacon Mather’s real estate was made in conjunc-tion with settlement of his will, the land totaled 53+ acres. ...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20231 min read
From the Deacon to Stephen…Tracing the ownership of the Homestead from 1840 to 1905.
We recently found transcriptions of the wills of Deacon Mather, Rana Mather, Phebe Mather, and Joseph Wakeman Mather along with summaries...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20232 min read
Where does time go?Rediscovering Joseph Wakeman Mather’s pocket watch.
An appraisal of items in the Homestead was conducted prior to the establish- ment of the Mather Homestead Foundation. In that process,...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20231 min read
Flower baskets, two cats, and a cockatoo.A pause to look at the doorstops in the Mather Homestead.
Tours of the Homestead always include the highboy in the dining room and perhaps the gateleg table in the Keeping Room or the canopy bed...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20231 min read
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…A brief look at early generation Mather gravesites.
From Deacon Joseph Mather to Stephen Mather and his daughter Bertha Mather McPherson, burials have been at the Mather Cemetery which lies...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20232 min read
The Treasurer, the Mayflower, and a horse and cow. The dazzling distaff genealogy of Stephen Tyng M
From Reverend Richard Mather (1596-1669) to Stephen Mather, the “Mather” line spans nine generations. But that, quite literally, is...
Donn Smith
Feb 8, 20232 min read
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