Daniel Zuckerman is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Steepletop, the Austerlitz home of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, has been closed to visitors for an indefinite period of time. Millay, who wrote during the late 19th century into the 20th century, was a winner of the Pultitzer Prize. The Millay Society made the closure announcement November 15, on its Facebook page. The museum’s season traditionally runs from May 1 to Nov. 1. The board of trustees made the decision to close the site to the public, which was dependent on Steepletop raising enough money to sustain itself. To stay afloat, the museum needs a long-term solution, Steepletop Board Vice President Mark O’Berski said. “We’re just devastated we had to come to this conclusion,” O'Berski said. Site staff will be affected by the closing, he said. It costs roughly $250,000 a year to run the museum, and It has been operating under a deficit since it opened to the public in 2010. Despite the financial issues, the number of visitors to the site increased this year, O’Berski said, and many residents supported the Save Steepletop campaign. The society continues to seek a partner to try to help, but finding someone who shares interest in the arts is difficult, O’Berski said. Millay was a feminist and activist for women’s rights during her lifetime, and her writing remains popular, O’Berski said. “...[S]he was a rock star poet in her day,” he said. “In terms of her relevancy, she’s still relevant — there’s a desire to see the work.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.