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Middlesex Parish 250 Historic Tour
13 local sites packed with Revolutionary history!
Take a self-guided tour of our local history using Clio! CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED
OR ... join us on Saturday, June 13 from 10 am to 4 pm -- we'll have a community wide tour with guides at each location - and even lemonade stands!
Middlesex Parish 250 Self Guided Driving Tour
Take a stroll down memory lane ...
The Mather Homestead, est. 1778
n 1778 Joseph Mather, son of Reverend Moses Mather, built this house, the Mather Homestead. Joseph Mather lived in this house with his wife Sarah, where they raised their 11 children on the 100-acre property.
The Mathers thought that they were safe from the Loyalist raids and plundering that occurred throughout the Revolutionary War because the Homestead is a good distance inland. Because of this, the Mather family and some friends and relatives hid money and valuables on the property. One March night in 1781, the Mather Homestead became a target of one of the raids, and the Loyalist troops found almost 100 pounds of silver and clothing hidden in the well, and even made Mrs. Mather cook them dinner before they escaped back to Long Island in their whaleboats.
The Homestead was passed down through the Mather family for generations until it was donated to the Mather Homestead Foundation in 2017. Notably, the house was occupied by Stephen Tyng Mather from 1905 to 1930. Stephen Tyng Mather was the first director of the U.S. National Park Service, and in 1964 Mather Homestead was named a National Historic Landmark in his honor.
To explore more, tours of the Mather Homestead can be scheduled online.
The Mathers thought that they were safe from the Loyalist raids and plundering that occurred throughout the Revolutionary War because the Homestead is a good distance inland. Because of this, the Mather family and some friends and relatives hid money and valuables on the property. One March night in 1781, the Mather Homestead became a target of one of the raids, and the Loyalist troops found almost 100 pounds of silver and clothing hidden in the well, and even made Mrs. Mather cook them dinner before they escaped back to Long Island in their whaleboats.
The Homestead was passed down through the Mather family for generations until it was donated to the Mather Homestead Foundation in 2017. Notably, the house was occupied by Stephen Tyng Mather from 1905 to 1930. Stephen Tyng Mather was the first director of the U.S. National Park Service, and in 1964 Mather Homestead was named a National Historic Landmark in his honor.
To explore more, tours of the Mather Homestead can be scheduled online.
The Bates Scofield House, est. 1736
The Bates-Scofield Homestead is a saltbox-style house built on the Post Road in 1736. Saltbox style homes feature a central chimney for efficient heating and are asymmetrical with a long sloping roof to shed snow and rain. It is believed that John Bates resided in the home until 1774, when it was then deeded to John Bates Jr., who resided in the house with his wife and nine children. The Bates family also used this house to hold church meetings before the Middlesex Parish Meetinghouse (now First Congregational Church of Darien) was built. In 1822, Ezra Scofield bought the house, which stayed in the Scofield family for about a century. In 1964, the house faced demolition, when it was given to the Museum of Darien (then Darien Historical Society), and moved to its current location to become a historical site. In 2008, the 1827 Scofield Barn was moved from its original location, where the Old King’s Market shopping center is now, and was joined to the Bates-Scofield house via a connector building. This site is now the Museum of Darien - the Bates-Scofield Homestead is a historic house and the Scofield Barn hosts rotating museum exhibits.
To learn more, read the Darien Heritage Trail plaque at the front of the property or visit the Museum of Darien, open 11am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
To learn more, read the Darien Heritage Trail plaque at the front of the property or visit the Museum of Darien, open 11am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The First Congregational Church of Darien, est. 1744
Before 1741, when Middlesex Society was founded, some Middlesex residents traveled almost 10 miles to attend Sunday services in Stamford. In 1744, the congregation hired its first minister, Moses Mather, who led the church for 62 years.
A notable event that occurred here at the First Congregational Church, then Middlesex Meetinghouse is the Raid on the Middlesex Meeting. A unit of the Loyalist military, known as the Long Island Associators, developed a plan to capture Reverend Mather and the male members of his congregation during Sunday services. Reverend Mather was a strong advocate for independence and the Patriot cause, which made him a target on more than one occasion. The Associators used the cover of darkness from the new moon during the early hours of July 21st, 1781 to travel across the Long Island Sound and hide in the woods near the Meetinghouse until it was time to begin the raid. The raid was led and executed by Captain William Frost, Lieutenant Joseph Smith, and 36 Associator men. Unlike other raids in the area, these troops traveled in ships, not whaleboats, and soldiers may have worn uniforms or uniform pieces.
The raid began around 2:00pm in the afternoon, when the churchgoers gathered after their midday meal. A lookout alerted the congregation of the raiders’ presence, and a few young men escaped out the windows of the church, including two of Mather’s sons. The raiders took jewelry and valuables from the women, and lined up the men of the congregation, tying them together in pairs. There were 48 men captured. Within an hour, the Loyalists, 48 captured men, and their 40 horses were headed back to the shore to sail back to Long Island. During a period of waiting that is understood to be caused by some combination of delayed ships, waiting for the deeper water, and boarding the 40 captured horses onto the boat, some shots were exchanged between Associators guarding the prisoners and the Patriot militia and Connecticut men that gathered in response to the raid. It was night by the time the ships with the Associators, captured men, and horses started their journey back to New York.
The prisoners were kept in the Provost prisons - Jonas Weed was released in a week, but it wasn’t until October until any more of the prisoners were released. The final group of captured Middlesex men, including Moses Mather, spent over five months in the prisons, and were released on December 27th. At least two men died in or returning from prison and according to the poem Decent on Middlesex written by one of the imprisoned men, six men never returned to Middlesex.
Read more about the First Congregational Church on the Darien Heritage Trail marker in front of the church and scan the QR code for more information and oral histories available on the website.
A notable event that occurred here at the First Congregational Church, then Middlesex Meetinghouse is the Raid on the Middlesex Meeting. A unit of the Loyalist military, known as the Long Island Associators, developed a plan to capture Reverend Mather and the male members of his congregation during Sunday services. Reverend Mather was a strong advocate for independence and the Patriot cause, which made him a target on more than one occasion. The Associators used the cover of darkness from the new moon during the early hours of July 21st, 1781 to travel across the Long Island Sound and hide in the woods near the Meetinghouse until it was time to begin the raid. The raid was led and executed by Captain William Frost, Lieutenant Joseph Smith, and 36 Associator men. Unlike other raids in the area, these troops traveled in ships, not whaleboats, and soldiers may have worn uniforms or uniform pieces.
The raid began around 2:00pm in the afternoon, when the churchgoers gathered after their midday meal. A lookout alerted the congregation of the raiders’ presence, and a few young men escaped out the windows of the church, including two of Mather’s sons. The raiders took jewelry and valuables from the women, and lined up the men of the congregation, tying them together in pairs. There were 48 men captured. Within an hour, the Loyalists, 48 captured men, and their 40 horses were headed back to the shore to sail back to Long Island. During a period of waiting that is understood to be caused by some combination of delayed ships, waiting for the deeper water, and boarding the 40 captured horses onto the boat, some shots were exchanged between Associators guarding the prisoners and the Patriot militia and Connecticut men that gathered in response to the raid. It was night by the time the ships with the Associators, captured men, and horses started their journey back to New York.
The prisoners were kept in the Provost prisons - Jonas Weed was released in a week, but it wasn’t until October until any more of the prisoners were released. The final group of captured Middlesex men, including Moses Mather, spent over five months in the prisons, and were released on December 27th. At least two men died in or returning from prison and according to the poem Decent on Middlesex written by one of the imprisoned men, six men never returned to Middlesex.
Read more about the First Congregational Church on the Darien Heritage Trail marker in front of the church and scan the QR code for more information and oral histories available on the website.
Governor Thomas Fitch Law Office Survived the Burning Of Norwalk
Attorney Thomas Fitch (1696 -1774) was governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1754 to 1766. His house, built around 1740, once stood on the east side of East Avenue in Norwalk. The house was partially burned in the British raid on Norwalk on July 11-12, 1779. Fitch descendants occupied the reconstructed house until 1945. The section of the house that had survived the British raid was moved to Norwalk’s Mill Hill in 1956 when the rest of the building was demolished to make way for the construction of I-95. In 1971 the building was restored as a museum to resemble a law office such as one that Governor Fitch might have used in the eighteenth century.
The Fitches raised 10 children in this home, including Corporal Thomas Fitch, Jr., considered as the “father” of Yankee Doodle, the Connecticut state song, written to memorialize the mocking of his troops by the British as “Yankee Doodles”, or simpletons. The song was considered defiance against the British, and by 1781, "Yankee Doodle" had turned from being an insult to being a song of national pride.
The Fitches raised 10 children in this home, including Corporal Thomas Fitch, Jr., considered as the “father” of Yankee Doodle, the Connecticut state song, written to memorialize the mocking of his troops by the British as “Yankee Doodles”, or simpletons. The song was considered defiance against the British, and by 1781, "Yankee Doodle" had turned from being an insult to being a song of national pride.
Burning of Norwalk Monument
On July 11, 1779, the British set ablaze 130 homes, 100 barns, five ships, 40 shops, 10 barns, flour mills and salt works, and two churches. Only six homes were spared, - all belonging to Loyalists. This monument pays tribute to all who died during this event known as the Burning of Norwalk.
Battle of Norwalk/Flax Hill Monument and Revolutionary War Cannonball
This monument is a relic from the Revolutionary War, and features a cannonball from the Battle of Norwalk (also known as Battle of the Rocks), embedded in stone. The monument was recognized in 1896 by the Daughters of the Revolution. Please be respectful when viewing this monument as it is on private property.
The Battle of Norwalk occurred on July 11th, during Tryon’s Raid, an effort to help the Loyalist forces. Led by General William Tryon, Tryon and his men raided Connecticut ports, where they stole from, destroyed, and burned many storehouses, public buildings, houses, and churches. On July 3rd, Tryon and his men struck New Haven, and on July 8th and 9th, they raided Fairfield. News of the Fairfield raid reached Norwalk residents, who believed they would be targeted next, and did their best to gather their clothing, goods, tools, and valuables to hide or take out of town by wagon. Women and children left town and many were sheltered by kindhearted residents of nearby areas like Wilton Parish. Patriot General Samuel Parsons did his best to round up troops to defend the town, but most men were already away fighting the war. He apparently requested that George Washington send 1,000 soldiers to help fight Tryon’s army. However, the troops dispatched by Washington didn’t reach Norwalk in time, nor did other Connecticut companies from places like Milford.
On July 10th, General Tryon was stationed with half of his army near the Norwalk Bridge, and waited for the Second Division under General Thomas Garth. Reports indicate that there were about 2,500 British troops, and about 800-900 Patriot soldiers amassed under Parsons and General Oliver Wolcott, who were stationed on the heights known as the “Rocks.” Some fire was exchanged between parties and records indicate that 3 Patriot soldiers were killed or wounded, while the British army reported 20 killed, 96 wounded, and 32 missing men after the battle. The Patriot troops didn’t have nearly enough force to stop Tryon’s raid, and the army continued to pillage and burn the town before continuing on down the coast.
The cannonball embedded in the stone represents this battle, and there are a few similar stone monuments throughout Norwalk commemorating this event.
The Battle of Norwalk occurred on July 11th, during Tryon’s Raid, an effort to help the Loyalist forces. Led by General William Tryon, Tryon and his men raided Connecticut ports, where they stole from, destroyed, and burned many storehouses, public buildings, houses, and churches. On July 3rd, Tryon and his men struck New Haven, and on July 8th and 9th, they raided Fairfield. News of the Fairfield raid reached Norwalk residents, who believed they would be targeted next, and did their best to gather their clothing, goods, tools, and valuables to hide or take out of town by wagon. Women and children left town and many were sheltered by kindhearted residents of nearby areas like Wilton Parish. Patriot General Samuel Parsons did his best to round up troops to defend the town, but most men were already away fighting the war. He apparently requested that George Washington send 1,000 soldiers to help fight Tryon’s army. However, the troops dispatched by Washington didn’t reach Norwalk in time, nor did other Connecticut companies from places like Milford.
On July 10th, General Tryon was stationed with half of his army near the Norwalk Bridge, and waited for the Second Division under General Thomas Garth. Reports indicate that there were about 2,500 British troops, and about 800-900 Patriot soldiers amassed under Parsons and General Oliver Wolcott, who were stationed on the heights known as the “Rocks.” Some fire was exchanged between parties and records indicate that 3 Patriot soldiers were killed or wounded, while the British army reported 20 killed, 96 wounded, and 32 missing men after the battle. The Patriot troops didn’t have nearly enough force to stop Tryon’s raid, and the army continued to pillage and burn the town before continuing on down the coast.
The cannonball embedded in the stone represents this battle, and there are a few similar stone monuments throughout Norwalk commemorating this event.
Fodor Farm and Nathan Hale Fountain
Fodor Farm is a historic site turned playground and community garden, owned by the town of Norwalk.
The property highlights the importance of agriculture in Norwalk history - Fodor Farm was a functioning farm and homestead from the 1650s through most of the 20th century. Agriculture was important in the early settlements of Norwalk, and remained part of the economy as the area industrialized, waning near the end of the 19th century as Norwalk became more suburban. During the Revolutionary War period, many people grew flax (to turn into fiber and clothing) and hemp and raised cows.
Beside the main building at Fodor Farm is a statue and fountain dedicated to Revolutionary War figure Nathan Hale. A Connecticut native, Nathan Hale attended Yale College and enlisted in the militia to fight in the Revolutionary War. He then volunteered as a spy on the British in New York, where he was to be disguised as a school teacher. To cross the Long Island Sound to get to New York, Hale traveled to Norwalk, where he left his uniform, papers, and commission before beginning his mission. Unfortunately, Hale was not a talented spy, and it was not long before he revealed his mission to an undercover British agent and was arrested and killed by the British Army. He is seen as a hero and martyr by many, and his short time in Norwalk is honored by the fountain at Fodor Farm.
The property highlights the importance of agriculture in Norwalk history - Fodor Farm was a functioning farm and homestead from the 1650s through most of the 20th century. Agriculture was important in the early settlements of Norwalk, and remained part of the economy as the area industrialized, waning near the end of the 19th century as Norwalk became more suburban. During the Revolutionary War period, many people grew flax (to turn into fiber and clothing) and hemp and raised cows.
Beside the main building at Fodor Farm is a statue and fountain dedicated to Revolutionary War figure Nathan Hale. A Connecticut native, Nathan Hale attended Yale College and enlisted in the militia to fight in the Revolutionary War. He then volunteered as a spy on the British in New York, where he was to be disguised as a school teacher. To cross the Long Island Sound to get to New York, Hale traveled to Norwalk, where he left his uniform, papers, and commission before beginning his mission. Unfortunately, Hale was not a talented spy, and it was not long before he revealed his mission to an undercover British agent and was arrested and killed by the British Army. He is seen as a hero and martyr by many, and his short time in Norwalk is honored by the fountain at Fodor Farm.
Brookside Cemetery
Brookside Cemetery (previously called Reed Cemetery or Old Five Mile River Cemetery) is one of the oldest cemeteries in Norwalk, and many of the area’s oldest settlers are buried there. In particular, there is the grave of Reverend Moses Mather, the first minister of the Middlesex Meetinghouse and prominent figure of the Revolutionary War in Connecticut. Also buried here are members of the Reed, Richard, Hoyt, Warren, Webb, and Raymond families, who are notable figures in Darien and Norwalk histories.
Noroton River Cemetery
The Noroton River Cemetery in Darien, CT, established ~300 years ago, serves as the final resting place for early Darien founding families and Revolutionary War veterans. Overgrown and weathered, many inscriptions are unreadable. However, recent cleanup efforts, notably spearheaded by the Good Wife's River Chapter of the DAR, have been made to preserve the historic site, including identifying and marking the graves of patriots.
Raymond Cemetery
This cemetery was established in 1782 by Paul, Edward, and Gershom II Raymond. The first burial took place in 1783. Gershom Raymond was their father and a Norwalk resident who served in the Revolutionary Way in Captain Jonathan Bell’s Company, 9th Connecticut Regiment from October to December of 1776. He, among other Revolutionary War Veterans as well as members of the Vincent, Smith, Bell, and Raymond families are buried here.
George Washington Commemorative Monument
In the triangular section of grass at the Intersection of Old Kings Highway South and Goodwives River Road are two big stones. To get out and look at these monuments, you can park on nearby Queens Lane.
On the larger rock is a bronze plaque with an etching of George Washington and the three dates which he passed through this very place in Darien, according to interpretations of records held at the Darien Historical Society. Washington first passed through in 1756 when he was 24, on his way to Boston. He passed through Darien a second time in 1775 as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army going to Massachusetts, and a third time on his Presidential Tour through Middlesex Parish in 1789. The plaque detailing these dates was dedicated in 1932 to celebrate Washington’s 200th birthday. A second, smaller stone bears the etching “17 MILES TO FAIRFIELD,” and was originally located about half a mile south of its current location, but was moved to its current location in 1956 for protection and display.
On the larger rock is a bronze plaque with an etching of George Washington and the three dates which he passed through this very place in Darien, according to interpretations of records held at the Darien Historical Society. Washington first passed through in 1756 when he was 24, on his way to Boston. He passed through Darien a second time in 1775 as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army going to Massachusetts, and a third time on his Presidential Tour through Middlesex Parish in 1789. The plaque detailing these dates was dedicated in 1932 to celebrate Washington’s 200th birthday. A second, smaller stone bears the etching “17 MILES TO FAIRFIELD,” and was originally located about half a mile south of its current location, but was moved to its current location in 1956 for protection and display.
Rings End Bridge
Near the bridge is the Darien Heritage Trail marker and across the bridge is a 1970 plaque commemorating Rings End Landing that was placed as part of the 150th anniversary of Darien celebrations.
This area, known as Rings End Landing, was the original commercial center of Darien. In 1708, Richard Scofield constructed a gristmill, called Scofield’s Mill. In 1729, the mill was sold to Scofield’s son-in-law, John Klock, and renamed Clock’s Mill, and the surrounding area Clock’s Landing. In 1740 the mill was sold to Captain George Gorham, and renamed Gorham’s Mill. It was operated by the Gorham family for over 100 years. By the 1830s, this was a bustling small harbor, with stores, a blacksmith shop, a tannery, and a boatyard. Ring’s End Bridge was first built out of wood across the mill’s dam in 1825, and was replaced with an iron bridge in 1895. By the time the current stone bridge was constructed in 1930, the center of Darien was the Post Road (following the construction of the railroad in 1848) and Gorham’s Mill had burned down.
This area is famously documented, and Rings End Landing and Gorham’s Mill appear in a 1900 painting by John Stobard (1929-2023) and on the seal of the Town of Darien.
This area, known as Rings End Landing, was the original commercial center of Darien. In 1708, Richard Scofield constructed a gristmill, called Scofield’s Mill. In 1729, the mill was sold to Scofield’s son-in-law, John Klock, and renamed Clock’s Mill, and the surrounding area Clock’s Landing. In 1740 the mill was sold to Captain George Gorham, and renamed Gorham’s Mill. It was operated by the Gorham family for over 100 years. By the 1830s, this was a bustling small harbor, with stores, a blacksmith shop, a tannery, and a boatyard. Ring’s End Bridge was first built out of wood across the mill’s dam in 1825, and was replaced with an iron bridge in 1895. By the time the current stone bridge was constructed in 1930, the center of Darien was the Post Road (following the construction of the railroad in 1848) and Gorham’s Mill had burned down.
This area is famously documented, and Rings End Landing and Gorham’s Mill appear in a 1900 painting by John Stobard (1929-2023) and on the seal of the Town of Darien.
Battle of Post Road/Nearwater Farm
You are at Hindley School, site of the Battle of Post Road near the modern location of Nearwater Farm. Feel free to get out and read the marker from the Darien Heritage Trail and walk or drive the mile down Nearwater Lane to enjoy ocean views.
Throughout the beginning of the Revolution, the British Navy and Loyalist troops frequently made night raids targeting the Patriots of Connecticut. The Loyalists used whaleboats to cross the Long Island Sound to steal animals, food, clothing, and valuables from Connecticut farms to bring back to their quarters and families.
On August 2, 1781 Loyalist raiders under the command of Major Nathan Hubbell plundered Norwalk, scouring farms and rounding up animals. Local militia guards under command of Lieutenant Nathan Howe quickly gathered men and responded to the raid. They hid behind the stone wall at the Southeast corner of the Post Road, close to Nearwater Lane (which today is the yard of the Hindley School). The Loyalist troops learned of this plan and gathered behind a stone wall across the street, where they could fire at the militiamen from the side and rear. A few men on both sides were killed, and several others wounded. The rest of the Loyalist men snuck back down to the water and escaped back across the Long Island Sound on their whaleboats. The marker placed in front of Hindley Schools recognizes the location of this skirmish.
Down the lane is the still-standing Nearwater Farm. This house was built in 1750 by Nathan Weed, and was passed down in the Weed Family for many generations. Joseph Weed, Nathaniel’s grandson, wrote about the animals like oxen, horses, cows, sheep and pigs held by the family, as well as crops like wheat, rye, buckwheat, oats, corn, flax, and potatoes. The beach at the end of the lane is named Weed Beach, in honor of the family.
Throughout the beginning of the Revolution, the British Navy and Loyalist troops frequently made night raids targeting the Patriots of Connecticut. The Loyalists used whaleboats to cross the Long Island Sound to steal animals, food, clothing, and valuables from Connecticut farms to bring back to their quarters and families.
On August 2, 1781 Loyalist raiders under the command of Major Nathan Hubbell plundered Norwalk, scouring farms and rounding up animals. Local militia guards under command of Lieutenant Nathan Howe quickly gathered men and responded to the raid. They hid behind the stone wall at the Southeast corner of the Post Road, close to Nearwater Lane (which today is the yard of the Hindley School). The Loyalist troops learned of this plan and gathered behind a stone wall across the street, where they could fire at the militiamen from the side and rear. A few men on both sides were killed, and several others wounded. The rest of the Loyalist men snuck back down to the water and escaped back across the Long Island Sound on their whaleboats. The marker placed in front of Hindley Schools recognizes the location of this skirmish.
Down the lane is the still-standing Nearwater Farm. This house was built in 1750 by Nathan Weed, and was passed down in the Weed Family for many generations. Joseph Weed, Nathaniel’s grandson, wrote about the animals like oxen, horses, cows, sheep and pigs held by the family, as well as crops like wheat, rye, buckwheat, oats, corn, flax, and potatoes. The beach at the end of the lane is named Weed Beach, in honor of the family.
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