The Mount (Lenox, Massachusetts)
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|
The Mount | |
Francis L.V. Hoppin | |
NRHP reference No. | 71000900 |
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Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | November 11, 1971 |
Designated NHL | November 11, 1971 |
The Mount (1902) is a
Today, The Mount is a cultural center and historic house museum, welcoming over 50,000 visitors each year. Visitors can explore the property and learn about Edith Wharton by taking tours of the house and gardens and are invited to sit in and interact with the rooms without obstruction. Interpretive exhibits throughout the house explore Wharton and her servants’ lives, as well as her humanitarian efforts and literary legacy. The Mount also presents lectures, dramatic readings, theater, music, storytelling, workshops, outdoor sculptures, films, and literary panels with over 40 local partner organizations.
History
The Mount's main house was inspired by the 17th-century
Edith Wharton and her husband, Edward, lived in the Mount from 1902 to 1911. After the Whartons left, the house was a private residence, a girls' dormitory for the Foxhollow School, and site of the theatre company Shakespeare & Company. It was then bought by Edith Wharton Restoration, which has restored much of the property to its original condition and oversees the running of the property.
The house is situated at the high end of its grounds. The original site was 113 acres (0.46 km2) of farmland, with another 15 acres (61,000 m2) later added. The current estate size is 49.5 acres (200,000 m2). Restored gardens include an Italian walled garden, formal flower garden, alpine rock garden, lime walk, and extensive grass terraces.
Today, in addition to being a historic house, The Mount is a major tourist attraction in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. It has been featured in several high-end magazines including an eight-page spread shot by photographer Annie Leibovitz for the fall 2012 issue of Vogue, with a foreword by Colm Tóibín.[1] In recent years, The Mount has become a literary hub, hosting an array of events including readings, book launches, and panel discussions. Author appearances have included: Tom Reiss, Billy Collins, David McCullough, Megan Marshall, Lily Koppel, Adam Gopnik, Kate Bolick, Garrison Keillor, John Berendt.
Paranormal activity
In 1942 The Mount became part of the
See also
- Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum
- Chesterwood (Massachusetts)
- Naumkeag
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
- List of Gilded Age mansions
- Steepletop
References
- ^ "The Custom of the Country: Vogue Recreates Edith Wharton's Artistic Arcadia - Vogue". Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
External links
- Official website
- The Mount: Edith Wharton and the American Renaissance
- The Victory Garden: The Mount; Edith Wharton's House & Gardens
- The Mount Google Earth Placemark Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- "Writings of Edith Wharton", broadcast from The Mount from C-SPAN's American Writers