7 Ways You Can Help Save The Mount

Act Fast to Ensure Edith Wharton's Berkshires Home Remains Open

The sad reality is that if adequate funds cannot be raised, The Mount may be sold and closed to the public. Since there's a chance this may be The Mount's final season, there's never been a better time to tour this historic home. Centrally located in Lenox, Massachusetts, The Mount is an easy day trip from most points in the Northeast including New York City, Boston, Providence and Hartford. Admission to the property and tour fees help to support the non-profit Edith Wharton Restoration in its efforts to remain solvent.

Tax-deductible donations large and small can help to ensure that Edith Wharton's Berkshires retreat remains open for public enjoyment. The Mount has secured a pledge of matching funds, so any amount you contribute will go twice as far toward the goal of sustaining the property through this period of financial hardship. There are two ways to donate:

• Print this online form and mail it, along with your credit card information or check payable to The Mount, to: The Mount, Two Plunkett Street, Box 974, Lenox, MA 01240.
• Call 413-551-5104 to donate via credit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover).

The Terrace Café, an open-air eatery overlooking the beautifully restored gardens at The Mount, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for visitors who would like to enjoy lunch, a snack or a glass of wine before or after their tour. Not planning to tour the property? You can still dine at the Terrace Café Friday through Sunday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. through August. Admission to the property is free on these evenings, and your food and beverage purchases will help to keep The Mount in business. However you spend your weekend in the Berkshires--whether you're attending a concert at Tanglewood, golfing, antiquing, or relaxing at a spa--why not plan an evening stroll through The Mount's gardens and a drink or light evening meal with friends?

The world knows Edith Wharton as a writer, but she actually fancied herself a more apt gardener. When I first visited The Mount in 1997, the gardens Wharton designed were so overgrown they weren't even worth exploring. Now, the three-acre landscape with its Italianate walled garden, French-style flower garden, lime walk, terrace and rock garden is simply stunning. Garden tours at The Mount are truly fascinating, as much "forensic" investigation was done to determine the grounds' original appearance. If you belong to a garden club or other organization, book a tour for your group by calling Elaine Roberts at 413-551-5108… before it's too late. Combination house and garden tours can also be arranged.

House tours at The Mount end at the bookstore, of course, where visitors can shop for books by Edith Wharton, DVDs of movies made from her novels, and a diverse assortment of gift items for lovers of literature, gardens, architecture and interior design. Did you know, though, that you can shop at The Mount Bookstore without traveling to Massachusetts? Simply call 413-551-5119 to inquire about item availability and to place an order. Shipping fees apply. If you've always wanted to own copies of Wharton classics, such as The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome or The Age of Innocence, now is an ideal time to make a purchase that will support the Edith Wharton Restoration.

Not books by Wharton, but the author's own collection of volumes that contain her handwritten notations. You see, back in December of 2005, Edith Wharton Restoration acquired Wharton's books, which are on display in The Mount's library, from a British rare book dealer for $2.6 million. The opportunity to own this invaluable collection was too good to pass up, but the private loan that enabled the purchase is one of the debts the non-profit is struggling to pay. When I visited The Mount in July of 2008, I learned that one of the creative fundraising possibilities The Mount is exploring is selling this collection to a university or other organization that might continue to house the books at The Mount and make them accessible to researchers.

"We are very intently making sure that we try to keep the bank from foreclosing on [The Mount] by the end of the season," said guide Anne Schuyler at the start of the garden tour I enjoyed during my July 2008 visit. "We're very optimistic, but we are not out of the woods," she emphasized, and while The Mount welcomes all contributions, Schuyler did tell tour participants: "We appreciate any stray millionaires that you know." To learn more about giving opportunities, call 413-551-5111.