Anonymous $300,000 Gift Helps Edith Wharton's Historic Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Jan 18th 2011 at 9:02PM

We've been watching The Mount, the historic Massachusetts home of author Edith Wharton, for the last couple years as it has struggled to stay open amid deep debt. The historic home even faced foreclosure a few years back but it seems that each time the home ends up in trouble, donors and foundations step in to help out, a testament to the enduring fondness for both the writer and this beautiful home. The Mount recently received a $300,000 gift from an anonymous local donor recently after an article in the Berkshire Eagle mentioned that the Mount is facing a $1 million debt repayment deadline in May 2011. A blog post on The Mount website states that the donor regards The Mount as a national treasure and hopes others will also step up to help. The Mount's year-end appeal raised over $350,000.

The Mount is located in the Berkshires area of Massachusetts which relies on summer tourism for its local museums and estates. The Mount is part of the "American Icons" admission program which lets visitors purchase special package deal tickets to four cultural institutions: Chesterwood and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, The Mount and Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock. Chesterwood was the summer home of sculptor Daniel Chester French. The Berkshires area is also the home of Tanglewood, the summer venue for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Gallery: Edith Wharton's The Mount

Tags: berkshires, edith wharton, historic homes, the mount

Filed under: Charity, Big Givers

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Annie Jan 18th 2011 9:55PM

Saw the Mount this last October. The 1/2 mile driveway and grounds were lovely to walk through going towards the house itself.

The stableblock was under renovation and not open.

The house itself is quite run down. It has a pretty dining room on the top floor and a pretty sun porch, and otherwsise was a total waste of time in my opinion compared to the other grand/famous historical houses in the USA, like the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina.

The gardens behind the house were quite small, (maybe an acre or two at the most) and were also a bit of a disappointment. They may be far prettier in May and June when the roses bloom, but they are not elaborately planted, so there is only so much that can be seen.

Probably worth an hour's visit after they fix it up, if you are staying at the nearby luscious boutique hotel, Blantyre.
p.s. Go to Nudel's in town for dinner - it is excellent!

virginastpierre Jan 19th 2011 1:40AM

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