The Mount, the former Lenox, Massachusetts, home of early twentieth-century novelist Edith Wharton, is facing foreclosure unless Edith Wharton Restoration, the nonprofit organization that owns the estate and its gardens, can raise $3 million by Thursday.
The non-profit organization that runs the home, Edith Wharton Restoration, borrowed several million dollars to purchase Wharton's personal collection and have it returned to The Mount. They've spent $13 million in the last 20 years restoring the house and the grounds.
There's a bit of comfort in the article in Preservation Magazine:
If the bank forecloses on the property, the home may be sold to a private owner. However, since the National Trust for Historic Preservation holds easements on the house and adjacent acreage, The Mount, a Save America's Treasures project, is protected.
So, at least if it is foreclosed upon, it won't be turned into a strip mall. But it would be a terrible shame for the foreclosure to happen. Hopefully an arrangement can be made with the bank to extend the deadline - the organization raises the most money with summertime ticket sales.
If you happen to know any wealthy Wharton fans, point them at the articles.
No comments:
Post a Comment