In 1902, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton defied every societal norm by designing her 35-room mansion—The Mount—in Lenox, Massachusetts. At a time when women made up exactly 0% of licensed architects in America, Wharton not only planned the architecture but also curated the interiors and laid out the Italian-style gardens herself. The 113-acre estate cost $40,000 to build and quickly became more than just a country home—it was Wharton’s personal sanctuary and creative haven.

Where Literary Magic Happened

The Mount wasn’t just an architectural feat but a place of extraordinary literary output. While living there, Wharton wrote three bestselling novels, including The House of Mirth, which sold a remarkable 140,000 copies in its first three months. Her writing routine was famously unconventional: she would draft pages in bed, then toss them to the floor for her secretary to collect and type.

She also penned parts of Ethan Frome from her bedroom, which remains preserved today. Every corner of The Mount echoed with her creativity and her unique ability to transform both words and space.

A Marriage Unravels

But behind the elegance of the estate was a life slowly falling apart. Her husband, Teddy Wharton, struggled with mental illness and racked up over $50,000 in gambling debts—a staggering sum at the time. Their relationship deteriorated until it ended in what many consider America’s first million-dollar divorce.

Though The Mount had once symbolized independence and artistry, Wharton was forced to sell the estate in 1911 for $180,000. The heartbreak of losing her beloved home added to the emotional cost of the separation.

A Lost Landmark, Restored

After Wharton’s departure, The Mount had several lives. It became a girls’ boarding school, a summer theater venue, and, by the 1990s, was in near ruin. But admirers of Wharton’s legacy rallied to restore it. Today, The Mount is open to the public, where visitors can walk through her gardens—designed as “outdoor rooms”—and stand in the very library where she worked.

Her bedroom, where pages once fluttered to the floor, remains a highlight of the tour, echoing the brilliance of a woman who shaped her world at a time when few women were allowed to.

A Legacy That Endures

Though Edith Wharton lost The Mount, her creative spirit lives on. Restored and open to the public, the estate stands as a tribute to her brilliance and independence—a place where visitors can walk the gardens she designed and sit in the library where American literary history was made.