Darien’s Good Wife’s River Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution will tour Darien’s Mather Homestead on Monday, Oct. 15, from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Members and prospects are invited to attend and afterwards to enjoy lunch together at a local restaurant.
— an announcement from the Darien Good Wife’s Chapter of the DAR
The Mather Homestead at 19 Stephen Mather Road was built in 1778 by Joseph Mather, the son of Rev. Moses Mather, an outspoken Patriot and a graduate of Yale Divinity School. During the Revolutionary War, the Mather Homestead was considered a “safe house,” where Patriots could store their valuables.
Its location was far from the shoreline where British troops might land. In 1782, it was raided anyway, according to Ken Reiss, a former president of the Darien Historical Society.
Picture from the Mather Homestead Foundation
The Stephen Tyng Mather Home at 19 Stephen Mather Road, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.
According to its website, the home is considered one of the finest examples of 18th century architecture, a wood frame structure with a central chimney and two stories plus a basement and attic.
The original furnishings, heirlooms, masonry and woodwork have all been preserved. The home became a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
- If you’re going: Please RSVP by Oct. 11, to DAR Regent, Katherine Love at brukatlove@aol.com.
It has remained in the Mather family for seven generations until 2017 when it was donated to the Mather Homestead Foundation through the generosity of the McPherson family.
The home was important during the Revolutionary War and was also home to Stephen Tyng Mather, the first director of the National Park Service.