Day 3: The Mount

On Wednesday morning, we got to visit Edith Wharton's home in the Berkshires. Our tour guide walked us through the house and shared history of her life and the building, which gave us a more personal connection to the author. This experience made her novel The House of Mirth even more meaningful and engaging, because we felt like we had gotten to know her.

The estate was over half a mile across, which began at the stables and finished at the garden. Edith Wharton herself, who was very interested in architecture, designed it in 1902 before moving in with her husband. She was said to have hated the dark Victorian style of the time, and loved to bring light and nature into the house. We got a unique window into her personality through her style;

very light and welcoming, yet elegant.
She used her love of design and architecture to create her ideal
world throughout her home. A century later, we got to stand where she stood and see what she touched. The tour guide took us through the formal areas of the house, Edith and Teddy's bedrooms, and the servant quarters.

The house is said to be haunted, especially by her husband's harsh ghost. We were able to see where she wrote every morning and where she drew inspiration. Often, this was in nature, which was often from her large garden behind the house. After the tour, we had the opportunity to sit on the grass and read from her novel, which was a very special experience.


After our visit we drove to Amherst, where we visited Mount Holyoke College and got to look at their archives from the turn of the 20th century.

Later that night, we went contra dancing, which we were generally apathetic about. However, and I think I can speak for everyone, it was an amazing and heartwarming experience. It forced us to be open minded and accepting, which resulted in pure fun. We also met some amazing locals that I will never forget, and in reflecting we gained important perspective from the group.