The Mount (Lenox, Massachusetts) facts for kids
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The Mount
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Edith Wharton's The Mount
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 Location in Massachusetts
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| Location | 2 Plunkett Street, Lenox |
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| Nearest city | Lenox, Massachusetts |
| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | Ogden Codman, Jr. and Francis L.V. Hoppin |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000900 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 11, 1971 |
| Designated NHL | November 11, 1971 |
The Mount is a beautiful country house in Lenox, Massachusetts. It was built in 1902. This special home belonged to a famous American writer named Edith Wharton. She actually designed the house and its gardens herself! She called it her "first real home."
The Mount is located in an area called The Berkshires. It is now open to everyone to visit. In 1971, this amazing property was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it is a very important historical place.
Today, The Mount is a busy cultural center and a historic house museum. More than 50,000 people visit it every year. Visitors can explore the house and gardens. They can learn about Edith Wharton's life. You can even sit in the rooms and imagine what it was like to live there!
The house has exhibits that show what life was like for Wharton and her staff. You can also learn about her efforts to help others. The Mount also hosts many fun events. These include talks, plays, music, and workshops. There are also outdoor sculptures and movies.
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The Mount's Design and History
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The main house at The Mount was inspired by a 17th-century house in England called Belton House. It also has ideas from old Italian and French buildings. Edith Wharton used the ideas from her first book, The Decoration of Houses, to design her home. She believed that good buildings should have order, balance, and beauty.
The front of the house has three stories. The back, which faces the garden, has two stories. It opens onto a large stone terrace. The house is a bright white color. It has dark green shutters that stand out. The bottom part of the house is made of rough field stone. The roof has gables and white chimneys. It also has a decorative railing and a small tower called a cupola.
Edith Wharton worked with an architect named Ogden Codman, Jr. on the design. Her niece, Beatrix Farrand, designed the kitchen garden and the driveway. Beatrix Farrand was a very important landscape architect. She was one of the first women to help start the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Edith Wharton and her husband, Edward, lived at The Mount from 1902 to 1911. After they moved, the house was used for different things. It was a private home for a while. Then, it became a girls' dormitory for the Foxhollow School. Later, a theater group called Shakespeare & Company used it.
Today, a group called Edith Wharton Restoration owns the house. They have worked hard to make the property look like it did when Edith Wharton lived there.
Exploring The Mount's Gardens
The house sits at the highest part of its land. The original property was very large, about 113 acres of farmland. Today, the estate is about 49.5 acres. The gardens have been carefully restored.
You can visit several beautiful gardens. There is an Italian walled garden. There is also a formal flower garden. You can see an alpine rock garden and a lime walk. There are also large grassy terraces.
The Mount is a popular place to visit in Western Massachusetts. It has even been featured in famous magazines. For example, the photographer Annie Leibovitz took pictures there for Vogue magazine.
The Mount has also become a place for writers and book lovers. Many authors have visited for readings and discussions. Famous writers like Billy Collins and David McCullough have been there.
Unexplained Happenings at The Mount
Some people believe The Mount might be haunted! In 1942, when it was the Foxhollow School for Girls, students reported strange noises. They heard sounds and had experiences they could not explain.
After the school closed in 1976, the house was empty for several years. When Shakespeare & Company used it, actors also reported odd things. They heard unexplained sounds. Some even saw figures that looked like people from the past.
In 2009, a TV show called Ghost Hunters filmed an episode at The Mount. Over three days, they said they found evidence of activity. They reported hearing footsteps in empty rooms. They also heard voices that seemed to come from nowhere. The show even did a follow-up episode in 2015.
See also
