Garden at Risk: Steepletop

Steepletop, the home and gardens of esteemed poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 - 1950), is at risk of closing its doors after the end of the 2018 season. Steepletop, a 650-acre farmstead in Austerlitz, NY, served both as the home and frequent inspiration of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet (shown in the photo above) for the last twenty-five years of her life.

The Millay Society, the nonprofit organization that owns and manages Steepletop, serving as steward of the house, the Edna St. Vincent Millay personal collections, the gardens, and the surrounding property, announced a "Save Steepletop" fundraising campaign in mid-April 2018. Unless they raise $1 million to sustain Steepletop in the short term—and begin to build an endowment for the long term—the Millay Society reports that this National Historic Landmark will close to the public after this season.

In 2003, Steepletop was selected as a preservation garden of the Garden Conservancy. The Conservancy has advised the Millay Society on garden restoration, management, and planning, and has helped raise its visibility to a national audience. Steepletop also participates in the Garden Conservancy Open Days program.

On May 14, 2018, the New York Times ran a feature article on Steepletop's uncertain future. 

For more information at Steepletop, visit our preservation portfolio's Steepletop page and the Millay Society's site at millay.org.