The Mount

The Mount in Lenox, in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, was the country home of the writer Edith Wharton. The house was built in 1902, and Wharton lived here with her husband, Edward, until 1911. She had a major hand in designing the house and gardens herself, together with the architect Ogden Codman Jr.; Francis L. V. Hoppin is also listed as an architect. Here she wrote and entertained literary friends such as Henry James. The estate has been a National Historic Landmark since 1971.

The restored grounds include an Italian walled garden, a formal flower garden, an alpine rock garden, a lime walk and broad lawn terraces. Wharton's niece Beatrix Farrand designed the kitchen garden and the drive. Guided tours take you through the house, the gardens and the servants' quarters, and in summer there are storytelling evenings, readings and concerts. The estate sits on Plunkett Street on the southern edge of Lenox, near US 7, and is easy to fit into a drive through the Berkshires.