Congdon Park in Duluth in Saint Louis County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Carriage House
| | Glensheen Historic Estate | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
1. Carriage House Marker
The main level sheltered the family's cows and horses. The animals were well looked after with cork tiles to protect their hooves, automatic watering devices and covered manure troughs. The manure was then mixed with creek water and used as fertilizer for the gardens. But not every design choice was this practical. You're unlikely to find many stables in Northern Minnesota with Tiffany tiles adorning the walls.
This building also housed a full vehicle repair shop with refueling system and mechanic's pit. This was forward thinking, given Glensheen was built during the very beginning of the automobile era. Vehicles (cars and carriages) were stored upstairs, transported between floors via a lift.
On the second floor were apartments for the chauffeur, coachman and the stableman. There was also a staff lounge where servants played cards and socialized.
Did you know?
The garage featured a mercury rectifier for charging the Congdons electric car a vehicle steered with a stick.
Erected by Glensheen Historic Estate. (Marker Number 3.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals
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Location. 46° 48.921′ N, 92° 3.038′ 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 located along the Glensheen Estate interpretive trail, near the northeast corner of the subject building. 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
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
2. Carriage House Marker
The marker is located beside the northwest corner of the Carriage House near the fire hydrant.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Vegetable Garden (a few steps from this marker); Gardener's Cottage (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Carriage House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Greenhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Glensheen, A Family Legacy (within shouting distance of this marker); Servant's Courtyard (within shouting distance of this marker); The Landscape (within shouting distance of this marker); Glensheen Restoration (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Duluth.
Regarding Carriage House. Contributing property, Chester and Clara Congdon Estate Glensheen, National Register of Historic Places № 91001057.
From the National Register Nomination prepared by Michael Koop, 8/1990:
Carriage House, 1905-09, Clarence H. Johnston, Sr., architect. The Carriage House is a two-story, Flemish bond brick and falsehalf-timber building located southeast of the house near the lake shore. It consists of a long, narrow section with its gable roof-oriented north-south flanked on both ends by west-facing ells. These three sections are divided into a carriage storage and maintenance area, a cow and horse stable with adjoining tack and grooming rooms, and living quarters for the coachman, maintenance man, and their families.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 20243. The Carriage House (northwest elevation)The carriage area is divided into a tiled entrance area, a two-story carriage room, and an adjoining garage. These spaces house an array of horse-drawn coaches and automobiles, including five vehicles manufactured by the Brewster Carriage Works of Brewster, New York. The horse stable features four large box stalls and four open stalls, some of which have cork brick floors. Windows in this part of the building were fitted with side gussets to prevent drafts. Original harness equipment remains in the tack room. During the early part of the century two Guernsey cows were housed in the four-stanchion space at the northeast corner of the building. All of the walls in these sections of the Carriage House are covered with white tiles. Chamfered ceiling joists provide an element of decoration.
Related markers.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
4. The Carriage House (northeast elevation)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 14, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 185 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 18, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
