Edith Wharton and The Mount

My little family and I went to Berkshires, Massachusetts for Labor Day Weekend.  It has been a long time since we have been to this part of the country.  Chiara went when she was toddler but Ines has never gone.  One of the things that I know we must do in the Berkshires is to visit Edith Wharton’s house, The Mount in the town of Lenox.  Of course, Vogue magazine’s coverage and Sunday Taylor’s blog post last year helped piqued my interest as well.

I was ready to be impressed by the estate where Edith Wharton lived from 1902-1911 based on the photos I have seen before.  However, I was not prepared to be blown away by Edith Wharton’s accomplishments.   She was ahead of her time in so many ways.  From the houses she helped design with Ogden Codman, Jr. to her benevolent work after World War I, she was definitely distinct from the socialites she grew up with.  I supposed it would have been relatively easy for her to lead a comfortable and privileged life but she chose to work until the end of her life.  Until her death of age 75, she wrote about one book a year.   Her volunteer work after World War I (where many times she used her own money) helped saved many children’s lives in Belgium and France. In this day and age where we are always looking ahead to the future, I hope that we don’t forget literary heroes like Edith Wharton who in many ways can be an inspiration to women today.

Outdoor sculpture show at the estate’s landscape

Poetry room where you can write a poem and hang for everyone to see

Sculpture by Paulette Carr called Longcoat

Edith Wharton’s library

Her boudoir