Mather Homestead

Mather Homestead The Mather Homestead Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of the 1778 Mather home and property

The Mather Homestead was built in 1778 and owned by the Mather family through seven generations, until 2016 when it was donated to The Mather Homestead Foundation thanks to the generosity of the McPherson family. The Mather Homestead is known for its important role during the Revolutionary War and was also the home of Stephen Tyng Mather, the father of our national parks system.

This week’s ! 📍🏞️Catie Morgan spots Stephen at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, California! 🌊☀️
08/28/2026

This week’s ! 📍🏞️

Catie Morgan spots Stephen at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, California! 🌊☀️

🎉🏞️ Happy Birthday, NPS! 🥳Founded on August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Org...
08/25/2026

🎉🏞️ Happy Birthday, NPS! 🥳

Founded on August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act into law, National Park Service has, for over a century, preserved our natural and cultural resources 🌲🏔️ and, in the words of Frederick Law Olmsted Junior, left them “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

It was our very own , in partnership with Horace Albright, who led the push for this new legislation — and then became the first National Park Service Director.

Today, the National Park Service is celebrating its 110th birthday with a gift to you: FREE admission to every national park in the U.S.!

As you get out and explore, help us find and photograph the 62 commemorative plaques that celebrate Stephen Mather’s service.

Spot a Mather plaque? Snap a photo and send it to [email protected]. And don’t forget to tag The Mather Homestead on Instagram!

👏 Thank you, Florence Heubeck, for sending us this plaque from GoldenSpikeNPS in Utah!

Join us as we put ! 📍

🎉🏞️ Happy Birthday, NPS! 🥳Founded on August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Org...
08/25/2026

🎉🏞️ Happy Birthday, NPS! 🥳

Founded on August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act into law, National Park Service has, for over a century, preserved our natural and cultural resources 🌲🏔️ and, in the words of Frederick Law Olmsted Junior, left them “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

It was our very own , in partnership with Horace Albright, who led the push for this new legislation — and then became the first National Park Service Director.

Today, the National Park Service is celebrating its 110th birthday with a gift to you: FREE admission to every national park in the U.S.! 🎁🏞️

As you get out and explore, help find and photograph the 62 commemorative plaques that celebrate Stephen Mather’s service.

👀Spot a Mather plaque? Snap a photo and send it to [email protected]. And don’t forget to tag The Mather Homestead on Instagram!

👏 Thank you, Florence Heubeck, for sending us this plaque from GoldenSpikeNPS in Utah! 🏔️

Join us as we put ! 📍

Mather Homestead neighbor Michelle Riley and her son Matthew spotted Stephen Mather Everglades National Park !🌴🏞️This St...
08/21/2026

Mather Homestead neighbor Michelle Riley and her son Matthew spotted Stephen Mather Everglades National Park !🌴🏞️

This Stephen Mather plaque is one of 62 commemorative plaques on display across the country.

Help us find—and photograph—all 62!

Spot a Mather plaque on your travels? Snap a photo and send it to [email protected]—and don’t forget to tag The Mather Homestead on Instagram. Together, we’ll put Mather on the Map! 📍

After Stephen Mather’s death in 1930, friends and colleagues honored the founding director of the National Park Service by commissioning 28 bronze plaques bearing his likeness and celebrating his legacy.

On July 4, 1932—what would have been Mather’s 65th birthday—the first plaques were dedicated at national parks and monuments across the country. More followed over the decades, and today 62 are on display from coast to coast.

Each bears this tribute:
“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 he has done.”

If you enjoyed one of America’s national parks this summer, you experienced part of the extraordinary conservation legacy Stephen Mather helped create. 🏞️

Now help us spot Stephen! 👀📍

Mather Homestead neighbor Michelle Riley and her son Matthew spotted Stephen Mather at Everglades National Park! 🌴🏞️This...
08/21/2026

Mather Homestead neighbor Michelle Riley and her son Matthew spotted Stephen Mather at Everglades National Park! 🌴🏞️

This Stephen Mather plaque is one of 62 commemorative plaques on display across the country.

Help us find—and photograph—all 62!

Spot a Mather plaque on your travels? Snap a photo and send it to [email protected]—and don’t forget to tag The Mather Homestead on Instagram. Together, we’ll put Mather on the Map! 📍

After Stephen Mather’s death in 1930, friends and colleagues honored the founding director of the National Park Service by commissioning 28 bronze plaques bearing his likeness and celebrating his legacy.

On July 4, 1932—what would have been Mather’s 65th birthday—the first plaques were dedicated at national parks and monuments across the country. More followed over the decades, and today 62 are on display from coast to coast.

Each bears this tribute:
“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 he has done.”

If you enjoyed one of America’s national parks this summer, you experienced part of the extraordinary conservation legacy Stephen Mather helped create. 🏞️

Now help us spot Stephen! 👀📍

Next week! Make-Modern Studio returns to The Mather Homestead for another week of homesteading fun. 🧵9:00 AM to 12:00 PM...
08/14/2026

Next week! Make-Modern Studio returns to The Mather Homestead for another week of homesteading fun. 🧵

9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Back to School Crafts!
Get ready to start the school year in style.
Campers will make a tote, desk accessories and fashions to wear into the fall.
Their friends and teachers will not believe they made it all themselves!

Just as Joseph and Sarah Mather made their clothes here over 200 years ago! is still alive and well here at The Mather Homestead.

For students entering grades 1-3.

So much fun last night at the opening reception for The traveling exhibition, now on view at The Mather Homestead barn...
08/04/2026

So much fun last night at the opening reception for The traveling exhibition, now on view at The Mather Homestead barn! 🇺🇸

Open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, August 4th through 8th, 9a to 3p. No tickets or advance booking necessary. Step in, and step back in time. There is so much still to learn about The American Revolution! Like this fascinating story about Sarah Osborn Benjamin.

We are grateful to all who made this exhibition possible, especially Sara Zagrodzky and Karen Polett of The Goodwives River Chapter of the DAR, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and American Battlefield Trust

Special thanks to FINE & DANDY, The Saucy Spoon and Eighth Acre Flowers for elevating last night’s event with beautiful food and flowers.

Thank you, Jon Jensen, for a wonderful night of music at the Mather barn! 🎶
08/02/2026

Thank you, Jon Jensen, for a wonderful night of music at the Mather barn! 🎶

It is not too late to support this season’s fundraising - in fact, now is the perfect time to give! Donate to The Mather...
06/20/2026

It is not too late to support this season’s fundraising - in fact, now is the perfect time to give!

Donate to The Mather Homestead by The Fourth of July and double your impact.

Thanks to a generous and patriotic Mather Homestead supporter, every gift made between June 20 and July 4 will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $25,000.

Join us in meeting this exciting challenge and help commemorate our nation’s milestone birthday. 🇺🇸🇺🇸

Just two weeks to go!

Click the $250 for 250 link in our profile to donate.

Thank you!

Our outstanding high school interns—Esther Bittker, Roman Gagliardi, Sean Dao, and Thaddeus Burley (from Darien High Sch...
06/11/2026

Our outstanding high school interns—Esther Bittker, Roman Gagliardi, Sean Dao, and Thaddeus Burley (from Darien High School, Westhill High School, and New Canaan High School)—have been bringing history to life. Here they share the story of Sarah Mather’s remarkable courage during the Tory Raid of 1781 with Fifth graders from Ox Ridge School.

This spring, we welcomed more than 150 students from Darien Public Schools for educational programs connected to the fifth-grade Revolutionary War curriculum. Today marks our final visit before the school year comes to a close. Thank you, students, for your enthusiasm, curiosity, and questions; to Michele Mengwall and Sarah Das for your thoughtful coordination of these enriching field trips; and to Cristi Mohr and Neev Sahgal for leading the way through the history of the 1778 House.

This year we also hosted students from Meadowpond Elementary School, Congregational Church School, Hindley School Girl Scouts, and local homeschool groups. If you know a school group that would enjoy exploring the Homestead and discovering local history, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected] to learn more about educational visits and programs.

Address

19 Stephen Mather Road
Darien, CT
06820

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 3pm
Wednesday 11am - 3pm
Thursday 11am - 3pm
Friday 1pm - 3pm
Saturday 1pm - 3pm

Telephone

+12032027602

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Mather Homestead posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Mather Homestead:

Shortcuts

Share

Category