Update from the Mount

We'd like to share just a few of the comments from some of our visitors this summer:

A guest from July 10th writes:
"My daughter and I had a wonderful time visiting The Mount. We loved the gardens and all the beautiful flowers. I took many pictures of the gardens. We met a friendly guide. We purchased a few items in the gift shop and gave a donation."

And from July 8th:
"My husband and I spent a wonderful afternoon at The Mount on Sunday. The tour was very informative and the restoration efforts are very impressive. I hope you'll be able to continue with the fine work you're doing. We'll definitely recommend that our friends pay a visit, and we'll be reading more Edith Wharton in the the future."

We would like to thank both these visitors for their kind words and support, and hope they, like many others, will be able to make return visits in the future.

The Staff and Volunteers at The Mount

Save the Mount

(posted August 5th)
I have visited the Mount twice. Once when it was closed and being restored, I wandered around the overgrown gardens and day dreamed that it was alive with Edith's guests including Henry James. I returned with my husband some years later and was amazed at all that had been accomplished and got to see the interior of the mansion. There are many historic homes of American writers but very few which belonged to American women writers. The Mount is special because Edith Wharton not only was an amazing author but she also knew about garden and home design and balance. It must be saved!

Susan Rosenthal
1211 Oxford Place
Schenectady, NY 12308
email trevi@netheaven.com

Good Wishes from DC

I have never visited The Mount. But, I am a fervent supporter of house museums, and a volunteer at the Hillwood Museum and Gardens in Washington, DC. I think it is very important that current day citizens have an opportunity to see how well-to-do persons lived in days gone by, and of course, gardens are a joy to behold wherever. I hope you reach your goal. I wish I could give more.
Jane J.

(posted June 30)

Literary Idol

Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I would like to help save The Mount because, among other reasons, I have not yet had a chance to see it! I am a working mother of two small children, with an incredible volume of commitments. Reading is what soothes me, and Edith Wharton is my literary idol. Hoping to visit The Mount soon…

Elizabeth Moore
liz@shamrocksf.com

Update from The Mount

Many apologies for the silence from us on this blog. We have been, luckily, quite busy with getting the Mount up and running for the 2008 season. We have had many first-time visitors so far as well as loyal returnees. Several newspapers have run features that have inspired quite a few visitors particularly from Rhode Island and upstate New York. But we still urgently need everyone's help to support us and encourage people to visit.

We are looking forward at the end of this week to welcoming members of the Edith Wharton Society ( http://www.edithwhartonsociety.org/ ) who are holding their 2008 conference in Pittsfield and to the start of the Tanglewood season this Saturday with a live broadcast of Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion.

Our cafe is now serving lunch on the terrace and will soon start new evening hours on weekends in July and August, which should be quite magical. Old favorites like Wharton on Wednesday and the popular Monday lecture series are returning as well. Check our main web page for details, and come visit!

The Staff and Volunteers at The Mount

Martha Stewart & The Mount

Don't you think Martha Stewart should broadcast a show from The Mount? The history, the architecture, the exquisite interior design, the gardens, the painstaking restoration process -- there is a super abundance of material that is perfect for her TV show. Surely manyof her fans would then be inspired to visit, and perhaps contribute.
It would be wonderful if Martha herself would also contribute to save The Mount. I would think she feels a kinship with the author of The Decoration of Houses.

Rachel Gibson [mailto:rgibson7995@charter.net]
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 12:29 PM

May 13 Important Update

The major creditors of The Mount have agreed to grant a six-month extension (until October 31) of the foreclosure deadline, allowing us to fully plan for the 2008 summer season. "The agreement of Berkshire Bank and our other major creditors to grant the six-month extension represents a significant milestone in our determined fight to resolve our problems and establish The Mount on responsible financial footings going forward. This extension allows us to capitalize on the Berkshires' peak tourist months to generate much needed operating revenues while at the same time provided a realistic time frame to achieve our $3 million fundraising goal....We have a considerable way to go and do not underestimate the enormity of the challenge." (Mount Trustee, Gordon Travers).
We indeed continue to be grateful for the interest and support shown for The Mount and look forward to an exciting and highly successful season!

The Staff and Volunteers at The Mount