Center for Mark Twain Studies

The Center for Mark Twain Studies is dedicated to promoting the life and legacy of the American author Mark Twain. The center is housed at Elmira College and manages Quarry Farm, where Mark Twain and his family spent summers and Twain wrote some of his most iconic works. Quarry Farm is a historic property situated on a hill overlooking the Chemung River Valley, is used as a retreat for scholars and writers. It was gifted to Elmira College in 1982, by Mark Twain's in-laws, the Langdon family. Twain's octagonal study, once perched on an an outcropping at Quarry Farm, is now located on the Elmira College campus and is open to the public much of the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  The Center for Mark Twain Studies offers a variety of academic programs and resources related to Mark Twain's life and work, including conferences, lectures, and research fellowships. The center also maintains an extensive collection of Mark Twain materials, including manuscripts, letters, photographs, and memorabilia, which are available for scholarly research.