Darien’s Heather Raker is spearheading efforts to raise funds for the Mather Homestead to restore the historic home’s colonial gardens.
The Mather Homestead was built in 1778 and owned by the Mather family through seven generations, until 2017 when it was donated to The Mather Homestead Foundation thanks to the generosity of the McPherson family.
Photo from the Impact Vine website
The Mather Homestead would like to restore a colonial garden in this area on its grounds, and it’s asking for your help.
The home is rich in history and open for public enjoyment and education. Stephen Mather, great-grandson of Deacon Joseph Mather, was an environmentalist and the founder and first director of our National Parks Service.
The original garden, which was designed by Stephen Mather himself, included both native plants and specimens from his work across the United States with National Park Service.
In the fall of 2017, Mather Homestead volunteers and board members undertook to clean up the gardens, and they’re now ready for the restoration phase of the organization’s plan.
According to the organization’s fundraising Web page on TheImpactVine.org, the foundation is seeking a total of $2,500 for the project. As of early Thursday morning it had raised $620, about a quarter of the way to its goal, with the campaign scheduled to end in 10 days.
Here’s the description of the project from TheImpactVine.com Web page:
The Mather Homestead gardens were once a source of town pride and horticultural wonder. Originally designed by Stephen Mather, the original garden included both native plants and specimens from his work across the United States with National Park Service.
They have been neglected in recent years and the foundation would like to restore them to their former glory to be used for education and public enjoyment. We appreciate the efforts of the many volunteers who joined the board in the fall of 2017 to clean up the gardens. These funds will take the restoration one step further to complete our restoration.
We aim to create a treasured outdoor space that reflects the landscape designs of the many Mather generations. From a colonial “kitchen” garden to the more formal English gardens of Stephen Mather, this space will be a beautiful extension of the historic Mather Homestead.
Specifically, your contributions will go towards:
- Evergreen shrubs
- Perennial & annual flowers
- Mulch & garden soil
- Garden benches