The Women of Tyler Arboretum: Mary Ann Regester (1820-1908)

By David Hostetter, February 5, 2026

Many of us are familiar with Thomas Minshall, who purchased quite a bit of Tyler Arboretum’s land from William Penn in 1681. We may know the Painter brothers planted more than 1,000 trees and shrubs, most in the area we now call the “Old Arb,” in the middle of the 19th century.

We probably know less about the women of Tyler. During Women’s History Month in March 2025, we began sharing the stories of the women who made an impact on Tyler and the surrounding community. So far we’ve featured Laura Hoopes Tyler, Ann Heacock Minshall, Gertrude McMasters Smith Wister, Sarah Painter Barnard and Hannah Minshall Painter, and we will continue with one final addition in March 2026. We hope you enjoy reading about the challenges and contributions made by some of the women of Tyler Arboretum! Next up, Mary Ann Regester!

An Important Associate of the Painter Brothers

Mary Regester (1820-1908) worked as a housekeeper for Minshall and Jacob Painter. During her quarter-century of domestic service, she lived with the Painters and others in Lachford Hall, now part of Tyler Arboretum. She is buried nearby in Cumberland Cemetery on North New Middletown Road. The shared Regester family grave marker is about forty paces from the tombs of the Minshall brothers in the Cemetery.

Mary remained single throughout her entire life while maintaining ties with her family and others in the region. During her 88 years, she lived through an era of rapid change, growing up before electricity and indoor plumbing, then through the introduction of the telegraph, telephones, railroads, and automobiles, as well as advances in law, custom, and industry, which shaped Mary’s life and work.

The scant records that reflect Mary’s life and experience survive in the U.S. Census, property records, small news articles, and her will. Her involvement with the projects of the Painter brothers, as well as her roles as a property owner, caretaker for her elderly mother and matronly mentor to her younger relatives, particularly her nieces, indicates a degree of activity and agency comparable to her peers as described in Joan M. Jensen’s Loosening the Bonds: Mid-Atlantic Farm Women, 1750-1850 (1986).

1820: Mary Regester Is Born

Born in Western Pa, to Robert (1769-1852) and Sarah (née Williams) Regester (1791-1873), Mary was the fifth of ten children and one of the longest lived. Several of her younger siblings died in childhood, likely victims of the spread of cholera in the area in the early 1830s.

1850: Employment with the Painters is Underway

According to census records, she began her long-term employment with the Painters by 1850, remaining with them until their deaths in 1873 (Minshall) and 1876 (Jacob). In addition to her domestic duties, she may have been partially responsible for the care of Phebe Painter, child of Margaret Painter. Phebe is listed in the 1850 census as an occupant of Lachford Hall; in the census, she is categorized as an “idiot,” which in the definition of the time meant someone with developmental limitations.

Among the technological changes that may have affected Mary’s domain and could be a factor in her ability to accrue wealth was the expansion of dairy operations by the Painter brothers. According to Jensen’s Loosening the Bonds, farm women in Delaware County in the years of Mary’s employment were often responsible for producing butter, which enabled them to earn money for themselves. The photo of Mary in front of the Springhouse may be a clue to her responsibilities in the farm’s dairy operations or part of her daily duties. There are no mentions of Mary in relation to the 1852 Pennsylvania Women’s Convention in West Chester, though Jacob Painter served on the planning committee and several prominent Pennsylvania Quaker feminists were involved in organizing the event; certainly, Mary’s independence would have put her in sympathy with the convention’s goals.

1879: A Home Purchase in Phoenixville

Following the deaths of the Painters, Mary took responsibility for caring for her elderly mother. She also purchased a house in Phoenixville in 1879. She benefited from legislation that enabled women in Pennsylvania to own property independently; the Keystone State was one of the first to allow it. It is unclear whether she inhabited the residence or served as a landlady, but, according to the census, her net worth continued to grow. In her later years, Mary lived with one of her brothers and his wife.

1908: Buried Near Her Long-Time Employers

In her obituary, she died of dysentery at the age of 88. Her will enumerated significant gifts to several younger relatives, including nieces. During her career, she helped make the informal community of Lachford Hall a home for the Painters and other residents. In this sense, the Painters’ project was a precursor to nearby intentional communities in Rose Valley and Arden, Delaware, in which women played important roles.

Mary Register’s funeral was held at the small chapel at the independent Cumberland Cemetery near the tombs of her long-time employers. Her monument also memorializes members of her extended family. From what is known of Mary Regester’s life, she was a witness to and participant in the many changes that expanded women’s economic and social roles in her era.

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