Edith Wharton
New York, New York, New York
Marker Inscription
Edith Wharton 1862-1937. 14 West 23rd Street, Manhattan. This was the childhood home of Edith Jones Wharton, one of America's most important authors, at a time when 23rd Street marked the northern boundary of fashionable New York. Here, in her father's extensive library, young Edith Jones discovered the world of literature. Wharton wrote with authority on gardens and design, but was most celebrated for her fiction. Her novels and stories are characterized by her intelligence, perception and the great beauty of her prose. She revealed the life of the soul with courage and clarity. Wharton lived in France for the latter part of her life, but the complex world of patrician New York remained the source of her greatest fiction. This includes The House of Mirth (1905) and The Age of Innocence, for which, in 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature.
Erected by Historic Landmarks Preservation Center
The Story
In the Gilded Age, 23rd Street marked the northern edge of fashionable Manhattan, and it was here, in her father's library, that young Edith Jones first fell in love with books. She grew into Edith Wharton, one of America's great novelists, dissecting the manners and cruelties of patrician New York with unmatched clarity. Though she spent her later years in France, that vanished world of old-money Manhattan remained the wellspring of her finest fiction, including The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence.
Why it matters
Wharton became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, and her sharp-eyed portraits of Gilded Age society remain foundational to the American literary canon.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- 81 Leonard Gallery1.9 mi away
- Gerben Fine Art1.9 mi away
- Bureau2.0 mi away · 112 Duane Street
- Hall des Lumières2.1 mi away · 49 Chambers Street, New York, NY
- Cloud Gallery2.1 mi away
- MĒRCER LABS2.4 mi away · 21 Dey Street
Attractions
- The River Project Wetlab1.5 mi away
- FDNY Ladder 81.8 mi away · 14 North Moore Street, New York
- Cortlandt Alley1.8 mi away
- Dream house1.8 mi away
- Chinatown1.9 mi away
- Textile building1.9 mi away
Food & drink
- Maman2.9 mi away
- Sweetgreen2.9 mi away
- Semicolon Cafe3.0 mi away
- Greene Hook Bar & Kitchen3.0 mi away
- Bluestone Lane3.0 mi away
- Yaso3.0 mi away · 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ
Places to stay
- Conrad2.3 mi away · 102 North End Avenue, New York
- M Social Hotel New York Downtown2.4 mi away · 55 Church Street, New York, NY
- Residence Inn New York Downtown Manhattan/World Trade Center Area2.5 mi away · 170 Broadway, New York, NY
- Holiday Inn2.5 mi away · 51 Nassau Street
- The Cloud One New York-Downtown2.5 mi away · 133 Greenwich Street, New York, NY
- World Center Hotel2.5 mi away · 144 Washington Street, New York, NY
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Related people
- · Edith Wharton
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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