Congdon Park in Duluth in Saint Louis County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Glensheen
Chester and Clara Congdon Estate
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
1. Glensheen Marker
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.
Location. 46° 48.911′ N, 92° 3.112′ W. Marker is in Duluth, Minnesota, in Saint Louis County. It is in Congdon Park. It can be reached from London Road (Voyageur Highway) (State Highway 61) 0.2 miles north of South 32nd Avenue East, on the right when traveling north. The marker is mounted at eye-level, directly on the Glensheen Mansion, on the left side of the north/front entrance. Walking access is from the Glensheen Estate parking lot on the northeast side of the property. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3300 London Road, Duluth MN 55804, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region and in the Iron Range. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Servant's Courtyard (within shouting distance of this marker); Glensheen Restoration (within shouting distance of this marker); The Landscape (within shouting distance of this marker); West Gate (within shouting distance of this marker);
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Boat House and Pier (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been permanently removed).
Regarding Glensheen. National Register of Historic Places № 91001057.
From the National Register Nomination prepared by Michael Koop, 8/1990:
The Congdon House is the finest example of Tudor-inspired architecture in the city Duluth as portrayed by the distinctive characteristics of the Jacobethan Revival style and based on the design of architect Clarence H. Johnston, Sr. The estate is significant in the area of landscape architecture because it is without rival in the city as a type of residential landscape planning, because the design itself is well preserved and thus conveys its historic character, and because the plan represents the only known work in Minnesota of the New York landscape architect Charles W. Leavitt, Jr.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 20242. Glensheen MarkerThe marker is mounted on the left side of the main/front/northwest entrance.
One of the leading figures in the development of the Mesabi Iron Range was Henry W. Oliver, who organized the Oliver Mining Company in 1892. It was at this time that Chester Congdon became Oliver's legal counsel. In 1901 the Rockefeller, Carnegie-Oliver, and Federal Steel Company's businesses merged into a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation known as the Oliver Iron Mining Company, with offices in Duluth.Unlike the mining industrialists with whom he associated professionally, Chester Congdon settled permanently in Duluth. By 1903, Chester and Clara were working with the architect Clarence Johnston on the building designs for Glensheen. Several key features in the Congdon House characterize the style. It has brick-clad walls with gables rising in a parapet in front of the gabled roof. Symmetrically placed windows and bays trimmed with granite and corbeled chimneys rise from the tiled roof. In addition, nearly all of the original interior furnishings and appointments as conceived by the William French Company are still inside the Congdon House. Because of its continuous ownership by the same family the house has had only a few minor changes, and its remarkable interior design and furnishings enhance the building's integrity. The outbuildings surrounding the main house, since they are contemporaneous to the dwelling, further contribute to the overall significance
of the estate.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 20243. Glensheen Mansion (northwest elevation)From the National Register Nomination: The primary entrance, part of a two-story projection, is centered in the north wall. A pair of paneled oak doors are set in a semicircular granite arch; three transomed windows punctuate the second floor and are surmounted by a balustraded balcony. A row of three 9/9 double hung sash and a diminutive window pierce the shaped parapet gable, which is coped with dressed granite. Flanking the central entry are two more wall projections, one with a pedimented service entrance, the other with a row of three double hung windows on each floor. Each of these projections echoes the central bay, but their gable ends are not shaped. An arcaded porch with balustrade extending the width of the west end of the house overlooks Tischer Creek and a glen.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Glensheen The Historic Congdon Estate
Also see . . . Glensheen Historic Estate (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Glensheen, the Historic Congdon Estate, is a 20,000 square foot mansion operated by the University of Minnesota Duluth as a historic house museum. Glensheen sits on 12 acres of waterfront property on Lake Superior, has 39 rooms and is built in the Jacobean architectural tradition, inspired by the Beaux-Arts styles of the era. The mansion was constructed as the family home of Chester Adgate Congdon. The building was designed by Minnesota architect Clarence H. Johnston Sr., with interiors designed by William A. French Co. and the formal terraced garden and English style landscape designed by the Charles Wellford Leavitt firm out of New York. Construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1908. The home cost a total of $854,000, equivalent to more than $22 million in 2017.(Submitted on February 17, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
4. Glensheen Mansion (southeast/lakeside detail)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
5. Glensheen Mansion (southeast entrance)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
6. Glensheen Fountain
Looking southeast from the mansion; Lake Superior is in the background.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
7. Glensheen Mansion (southeast/lakeside elevation)
From the National Register Nomination: The south elevation is designed much the same as the facade. There are three full height gable projections filled with windows, and those to the east and west feature balustraded balconies. The central entrance is flanked by battered Tuscan columns, deeply recessed leaded art glass sidelights, and pilasters, and features a curved pediment with dentils. Projecting from the southeastern corner is a small breakfast room that has a door leading to a terrace spanning the length of the building. The gable roof is framed with steel beams that support interior tiles covered by clay roofing tiles. Four hipped dormers sheathed with tiles are located on the south pitch of the roof. There are five corbeled brick chimneys.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 133 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on February 17, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
