Ghosts at the Mount

Creaking floorboards, doors slamming unaccountably, a light turns on by itself, chills up your spine...these are the unmistakable signs of a haunted house and not usually associated with the charming Village of Lenox. But this October, the historic Berkshire town is a hotspot for paranormal activity at the very home where Edith Wharton lived. The Mount, built in 1902 by Wharton and where she lived until 1911, has found a whole new life, well after life. Enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity to explore one of the most historic mansions in Lenox, one that's haunted.

The Mount was built by Wharton as a summer home before making it her permanent residence for a brief period. Currently a museum, the prolific Edith Wharton wrote several novels in the mansion including The House of Mirth. Wharton was extremely open to the idea of ghostly activity. She wrote several ghost stories during her career and claimed to be haunted as a child. In 1942 The Mount became a school for girls and many of the pupils reported strange noises and unexplained experiences during their time there. The mansion then sat vacant from 1976 to 2009, more than enough time for some paranormal activity to manifest. When Shakespeare & Company used it as a dormitory and alternate performance space in 2009, actors reported unexplainable experiences and sounds similar to those the young school girls had experienced. As a result, the television series “Ghost Hunters” visited in 2009 and in the course of their “investigation” found proof of activity; classical signs of ghouls, disembodied voices and footsteps in empty rooms.

The change of season seems to bring an increase of spooky activity to the Mount and, while the thought of interacting with a real ghost may not exactly motivate everyone, it's not putting a damper on the popularity of visiting the Lenox mansion. The Mount's Rebecka McDougall explains “the ghost tours bring the property to life in an altered, shadowy light. We share stories from former residents, staff and visitors of ghostly encounters and the unexplained.”

Guests explore the ground and house with a flashlight and recent visitors have reported “mysterious movements and the feeling of an unseen hand on their shoulder” says McDougall. Modern technology like phones and cameras have been know to malfunction but begin to work once outside the property, and there are recent reports of an image in the windows of Edith Wharton’s bathroom. Visitors on the tour have said the woman appears to have sunken eyes and checks. Who could this woman be? A governess remaining from the mansions time as a school? An old friend of Edith Wharton? Edith herself still at the Mount? Find out yourself anytime from now until the 26th, but proceed with caution.