Lenox — Back in 1902, Edith Wharton, author of “The Age of Innocence,” “Ethan Frome,” and “The House of Mirth,” designed and built an estate on 113 acres of farmland at 2 Plunkett Street. The main house on the property was inspired by the 17th-century Belton House in Belton, England. Wharton and her husband Edward lived at the estate from 1902 until 1911, before divorcing two years later.
The passed between several hands over the decades, including the Shattuck family in 1911, the Van Anda family in 1938, and the Foxhollow School in 1942. In 1971, the property was declared a National Historic Landmark by the federal government and was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Foxhollow, a girls’ boarding school, closed down in the mid-1970s, and the estate was subsequently sold to developer Donald Altshuler in 1976, who developed condominiums on the Lee side of The Mount property.
In 1978, The Mount was rented to the then-recently established Shakespeare & Company and was subsequently acquired by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s endangered properties fund.
In 1979, the Edith Wharton Restoration was formed to purchase the property and turn it into a museum. The organization purchased the property in 1980 and continued to lease it to Shakespeare & Company until 2001.
The organization has encountered several challenges over the years, including in 2008 when, according to The Guardian, The Mount owed $8.5 million to various parties and was facing foreclosure. However, as reported by The Guardian, the organization found its way out of its struggles through donations and local support.
Today, The Mount continues to act as a museum and a place for cultural and literary events throughout the year, including writing residencies, lectures, discussions, and various other programs.
The Mount celebrated its successes on Sunday, July 7 with its annual gala. According to The Mount’s website, the property, which now covers 49.5 acres, has an estimated 77,000 visitors a year.
“We have done fabulously this year,” organization Director of Development Maryann Beaumont told The Berkshire Edge. “Everything is up, including membership and the number of visitors we have had.”
Beaumont credited Wharton’s building design as one of the many reasons The Mount consistently attracts visitors. “There’s a great deal of light and peace inside the mansion,” Beaumont said. “We also have a sculpture exhibit and even a ‘ghost tour’ for visitors. Edith believed in spiritual connections, which is one of the reasons why we hold these tours.”
“Post-pandemic, we’ve been going stronger than ever before,” said Executive Director of The Mount Susan Wissler. “We opened up as a public park in 2020 when all of the other properties were shutting down, and I think that created a very strong and positive public reaction. The community has supported us because we do everything that we can to be open and welcoming to all. For example, for anyone with any accessibility concerns, we bend over backward to make golf carts and transportation.”
Wissler said that another reason why The Mount continues to receive a high amount of visitors is due to the enduring popularity of Wharton’s books. “I think Wharton’s writings are still very much read and loved today,” Wissler said. “There’s a lot of curiosity about a woman who, at the turn of the 20th century, really sort of set out on her own and created her path to success. To me, there is something for everyone at The Mount.”
“I honestly think that The Mount is a beautiful place to be,” said Bob Ouimette, a three-year member of the organization’s Board of Trustees. “Sometimes I come here in the morning and walk around the estate, and I meet people who have a great time here. I hope people come here to enjoy this place for what it is, because it’s absolutely beautiful.”
For more information about The Mount, visit its website.
