A Visit to the Edith Wharton Estate

Until this trip, I didn’t realize how prolific Edith Wharton was; she wrote over 30 works of fiction and 85 short stories over the course of her life.  I also didn’t know that she was the first woman to be honored with the Pulitzer prize for literature in 1921 for The Age of Innocence, which has always been one of my favorite novels.

She was an incredibly interesting and independent woman; way ahead of her time. Edith’s mother convinced her to enter into a marriage of convenience at the age of 23, but she and her husband weren’t very compatible. They divorced in 1911 and Edith lived the balance of her life alone in Paris, much like her character, Countess Olenska in The Age of Innocence.  When in Paris during the 1st World War, Edith was involved in many charitable efforts for refugees and was one of the only foreigners in France allowed to visit the front lines during the war.

Below is the side view of The Mount, my favorite view of this gorgeous estate as it showcases the beautiful gardens along the side of the home.

 

These pink flowers were at their peak the day we visited.

I love how these flowers below look like they’re reaching towards the sun.

Here’s the front entrance to The Mount.  Apparently Edith was a bit anti-social and didn’t welcome too many visitors.  You can see from the high walls surrounding the estate that she sure protected her privacy.

I always love to see what type of library writers have and this one didn’t disappoint.  Look at the beautiful built-in book shelves with their gorgeous wood work and the colorful book spines.

According to our tour guide, Edith did most of her writing in bed each morning. The bed was covered with hand written pages of her actual, original writings.

If you’re a fan of Wharton and get a chance to visit Lenox, Massachusetts, you have to visit The Mount – it’s such a treat!