Landmark trying to avoid foreclosure

From the Albany Capital News 9 site:

Landmark trying to avoid foreclosure
Updated: 09/10/2008 06:57 AM
By: Ryan Burgess

LENOX, MA - Wendy Gash has been a tour guide at this National Historic Landmark in Lenox called The Mount for years. She said a lot has stayed the same on the tours she gives, except for how she says goodbye to the guests.

"I have a little ending to my tour. I tell them, if you've enjoyed yourself, bring all your rich friends who have an extra $1 million or so and we accept checks," said Gash.

They take cash, check, or credit because the former home of famed novelist Edith Wharton is just a month and a half away from the auction block.

Landmark trying to avoid foreclosure
Time is running out for a national historic landmark in Lenox that's facing foreclosure. Our Ryan Burgess went to The Mount on Tuesday to find out if it can raise enough money to stay off the auction block.

"We are still up against a deadline of October 31 to raise $3 million," said The Mount Executive Director Susan Wissler.

If that money is not raised, The Mount faces foreclosure. So far, only about $1.2 million has been raised, but they are hoping to negotiate an extension with their bank. In spite of the looming deadline, officials here say donations keep coming.

"Fundraising is actually continuing at a steady pace. We got a $50,000 gift actually within the last couple of weeks and I just got news of another $25,000 donation thats coming within the next ten days or so," said Wissler.

One ticket booth worker said that the first question people ask when they pull up is, how's the fundraising going? But even with all that interest, The Mount says it still has a long way to go before it can reach its fundraising goals.