"A Backward Glance: Landscape Archaeology at The Mount, Home of Edith Wharton"

Lecture at the Massachusetts Archives

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin announced today that the November talk in the Massachusetts Archives and Commonwealth Museum’s fall lecture series will be Timothy Binzen’s presentation: "A Backward Glance: Landscape Archaeology at The Mount, Home of Edith Wharton" at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 3, 2001, at the Massachusetts Archives building on Columbia Point in Dorchester (220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125).

The Mount, an estate in Lenox, Massachusetts, was the home of American novelist Edith Wharton at the turn of the 20^th century. Wharton completed several works while living at The Mount and was instrumental in the design and construction of the mansion, its classical gardens and formal pathways. Comprehensive restoration of this National Historic Landmark is now nearing completion. Landscape archaeology has revealed many details of Wharton’s designs that had long been obscured by vegetation and has enabled their accurate reconstruction. Tim Binzen will present historic photographs, recent excavation photographs, and anecdotes to explore Wharton’s aesthetics, as they were expressed at The Mount.

Timothy Binzen is a cultural resources consultant and project archaeologist with Archaeological Services at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He received his MA in anthropology from the University of Connecticut.

The program is free and open to the public. Parking is free, and the building is handicapped accessible. For additional information or a brochure listing future lectures call 617-727-2816 or see our website at www.state.ma.us/sec/arc.