America250: A Darien Perspective
Around Town | written by: PAMELA DEY VOSSLER
As part of the Middlesex Parish 250 events, the Fifth CT Regiment gathers May 2nd at the Museum of Darien for colonial living, soldiering and artisan skill demonstrations, then moves to Mather Homestead for a historic battle reenactment. It’s a front row seat to live theatre at its best, with dedicated reenactors who invest heavily to recreate authentic uniforms and fully immerse in their roles. | photo courtesy Katharine Calderwood, Calderwood Photography
Here’s the thing about history: It is now. It is us, present in our every move. When we lose sight of that, we lose ourselves. History matters.
“For me, studying history and looking back has always been about not losing my way,” said Samantha Gault, Executive Director of Darien’s Mather Homestead. Built in 1778 and raided by Tories during the Revolutionary War, Mather Homestead was home to six generations of Mathers, including Moses Mather, Darien’s leading voice for freedom in 1778. It is now dedicated to historical education.
“How can you know where you are or where you are going if you do not know where you have been? That is as important for nations and communities as it is for individuals,” she continued.
“I think understanding what went before helps you decide how to do things currently,” added Marian Castell, Darien’s Town Historian from 1996 to 2024 and current board member of the Museum of Darien, keeper of Darien’s history.
America250 Brought Home
Thanks to the Middlesex Parish 250 Committee, of which Mather Homestead and the Museum of Darien are part, and the hundreds of hours members have spent over the past year creating exhibits, community events, installations and educational programs designed to spotlight the local aspects of this year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we have the chance to do just that—to honor the past and inspire our collective future by immersing ourselves in what happened in and around Darien during the Revolutionary War …to learn from it and understand why it deserves every ounce of attention we can give it.
“(All we are doing) reminds us that we are a community and a nation founded on particular ideals—independence, inclusivity, freedom, opportunity, resilience and unity,” said Committee Member Heather Raker who is also the immediate past executive director of the Mather Homestead. “Every 50 years, it’s not a bad idea to come back to that,” she added.
History Happened Here
Named for the area of which Darien was part prior to its official founding in 1820, the Middlesex Parish 250 Committee helps us know the Revolutionary War residents of Darien, our neighbors in history, people full of drive and ingenuity willing to risk all for this value system and the life we now have.
“Loyalist forces raided the coast of Darien and stole all they could put their hands on, not just silver, but sugar, food, farm animals and clothing,” said Museum of Darien Executive Director Amy Allen, also a committee member. When your life depends on that food and those farm animals, and you have little of that very-difficult-to-come-by clothing, they were dire losses, explained Amy. “We have accounts of how many pounds of sugar and how many sheep (were taken) from actual handwritten documents,” she added. (Fascinating what comes down to us through the centuries—what the people who came before wanted us to know.)
These fellow residents were also the people who witnessed the 19,000 soldiers, led by George Washington, march down Old Kings Highway through town during the Revolutionary War on roadways that exist still today. They were among those who fought the Tories from behind a stone wall at the corner of Nearwater Lane not far from where Hindley School students now get off buses each day. They manned the whaleboats that protected our coastline. They included residents who were kidnapped and jailed for their commitment to the cause, as well as those who went to battle and are now buried in local cemeteries.
The Middlesex Parish 250 events make visible what would otherwise be overlooked, reminding us there are no decisive battles without the smaller things that lead up to them. “The Revolutionary War was not fought only on the iconic battlefields such as Bunker Hill, Saratoga and Yorktown, it was fought right here in our own backyard, sometimes neighbor against neighbor,” said Amy.
What we do individually matters cumulatively. It mattered then. It matters now.
“In a vast, confusing, fast-paced world, individuals and communities still matter. Their efforts, their camaraderie, their spirit and their coming together is, I think, the whole point of our Middlesex Parish 250 Committee,” said Amy.
A Way To Know Now
The Middlesex Parish 250 events, along with history in general, give us dimension, perspective and a way to understand that despite our differences, which Democracy is uniquely set up to accommodate, we come from the same place. Our lives are predicated on this shared foundation.
“Not only is this a country to be proud of since its founding, but this is a town to be proud of,” observed Heather. “This is a town where history happened. So, let’s get everybody to rally around the founding principles of why we’re here and why we need to still fight for this country when sometimes democracy seems tested,” she added.
“It is easy for us to get lost in the woods,” said Samantha. “History is like a trail of bread crumbs. It helps us find our way back. It helps us make sense of our present. And, ideally, it helps us make better decisions about the way forward,” she continued.
By living here, in this country, in this town, we are part of what happened 250 years ago, standing on the shoulders of those who were here then, just as those who follow us will stand on ours.
“Figures from the past like the Mathers have so much to teach us about courage, civility, humility and public service and what kind of citizens we aspire to be as we shape our nation’s future,” added Samantha.
Thank you Middlesex Parish 250 for bringing the past to life for us so that we may understand just how connected we are …to it and to each other.
“It is only in the celebration of the past that we will remember and appreciate what so many have done over so many years,” said Marian.
For more on Middlesex Parish 250 events, including the “War Comes to Middlesex” exhibit which opens at the Museum of Darien on April 28th, visit middlesexparish250.org.
