Save America's Treasures - Project Profile

June 1999

The Mount
Home of Edith Wharton
Lenox, Massachusetts

he celebrated writer, Edith Wharton, was first renowned as the co-author of the best-selling Decoration of Houses. The restoration of The Mount is a particularly significant undertaking because, like Jefferson's Monticello, it is an autobiographical house that definitely expresses its creator's influence on architecture, garden, and interior design. She designed this home according to her ideas which valued balance, symmetry, and suitability in reaction to the Victorian style and the excesses of the Gilded Age. The Mount survives as Edith Wharton's architectural masterpiece and, together with her literary legacy, is a testament to her extraordinary achievements. Only five percent of National Historic Landmarks are dedicated to a woman, and The Mount is one of them.

As part of her July Save America’s Treasures tour of historic sites in the Mid-Atlantic states, the First Lady visited this historic home on July 14, 1998 to draw public attention to its critical preservation needs. Local officials and Wharton preservationists joined the First Lady for a tour and speaking program on the steps of the mansion, which is undergoing extensive restoration.

Visitation tripled the day following the First Lady’s visit, and more than doubled in subsequent weeks. Overall visitation experienced a 25% increase for the remainder of the 1998 season, which ended on November 1. The increased visibility of the project has helped Edith Wharton Restoration, Inc., raise a remarkable $350,000 toward restoration of the historic house and gardens as work on the multi-year restoration project continues. On May 19, 1999, the First Lady announced that Congress had awarded The Mount a grant of more than $2.8 million from the Fund to Save America’s Treasures, one of the largest awards from the $30 million federal appropriation.

Related Resources

Remarks by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at The Mount: Save America’s Treasures Tour, July 14,1998.

Edith Wharton Restoration: Dedicated to restoration of The Mount and its establishment as a cultural center, this site includes background information on Edith Wharton, The Mount, Edith Wharton Restoration, Inc., and tourist information.

Edith Wharton Restoration: Another Edith Wharton Restoration site. Includes "The Mount: A Historic Structure Report."

Edith Wharton Society: Includes an index to The Edith Wharton Review and other information for scholars and readers.

Edith Wharton's World: An Overview with Biocritical Sources: Includes chronology, life overview, list of works, picture gallery, biographical and critical sources, and links to related websites

"Edith Wharton's World: Portraits of People and Places": An exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.