Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Edith Wharton

1862 - 1937

— 14 West 23rd Street Manhattan —

Edith Wharton Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Erik Lander, January 3, 2004

1. Edith Wharton Marker

Inscription. 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 and characterized by her intelligence perception and the grand beauty of her prose. She revealed the life of the soul with courage and clarity. Wharton lived in France for the better part of her life but the complex world of 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 in Literature.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Women. In addition, it is included in the New York, New York City Historic Landmarks Preservation Center Cultural Medallions series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1921.

Location. 40° 44.501′ N, 73° 59.418′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in the Flatiron District. Marker is on West 23rd Street just west of Fifth Avenue, on the left when traveling

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west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10010, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fifth Avenue Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Flatiron Building (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); 200 Fifth Avenue Clock (about 300 feet away); Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the New York City Pride March (about 400 feet away); William H. Seward (about 400 feet away); Welcome to Madison Square Park! / Care for Your Park (about 400 feet away); New York Fire Department – City of New York (about 400 feet away); Eternal Light Flagstaff (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.

Also see . . .
1. Edith Wharton. Wikipedia biography (Submitted on November 4, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)

2. From Wharton to Starbucks -- No. 14 West 23rd Street. "Daytonian in Manhattan" entry. (Submitted on April 8, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Photographed By Larry Gertner, November 17, 2018

2. Edith Wharton Marker

The marker is to the right of the door at 14 West 23rd Street.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, November 29, 2015

3. Edith Jones

This 1870 portrait of Edith Jones by Edward Harrison May hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. It was painted in Paris “during an extensive family sojourn in Europe.” She would become Edith Wharton in 1885 when she married Edward Wharton.

Edith Wharton image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Unknown, unknown

4. Edith Wharton

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2011, by Erik Lander of Brooklyn, New York. This page has been viewed 648 times since then and 21 times this year. Last updated on November 5, 2011, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. Photos: 1. submitted on November 3, 2011, by Erik Lander of Brooklyn, New York. 2. submitted on November 17, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on July 26, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 4. submitted on April 8, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.