1 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — Glensheen — Chester and Clara Congdon Estate —

Has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior — — Map (db m266300) HM

2 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 1 — Gardener's Cottage — Historic Glensheen Estate —

The estate housed three head gardeners before employing a Scotsman named George Wyness in 1921. His arrival in Duluth, along with his wife and three sons, marked the beginning of a family gardening dynasty. In 1955, George turned the position . . . — — Map (db m266391) HM

3 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 2 — Vegetable Garden — Glensheen Historic Estate —

Chester Congdon envisioned Glensheen as a self-sufficient estate. To help feed the family and staff, a large garden was planted from thousands of seedlings started in the greenhouse. According to family records, the plot produced many common . . . — — Map (db m266392) HM

4 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 3 — Carriage House — Glensheen Historic Estate —

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 . . . — — Map (db m266393) HM

5 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 4 — The Boathouse — Glensheen Historic Estate —

The Congdons' boathouse is one of the few remaining on vast Lake Superior. When built, its pier was large enough to be seen on navigational maps. Of course, the pier was bigger then — extending out an additional 30 feet straight into Lake Superior . . . — — Map (db m266394) HM

6 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 5 — Lake Superior — Glensheen Historic Estate —

Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes — by a lot. With a surface area of nearly 32,000 miles and areas as deep as 1,332 feet, Lake Superior could hold all the water in lakes Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Erie, plus three additional Lake . . . — — Map (db m266395) HM

7 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 6 — Tischer Creek — Glensheen Historic Estate —

At one time, the waters of Tischer Creek were diverted upstream into a 60,000-gallon reservoir built between Superior Street and London Road. From there, it was piped via a private water main to 20-plus spigots for estate use. On the west bank of . . . — — Map (db m266396) HM

8 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 7 — Stone Bridge & Trails — Glensheen Historic Estate —

The Stone Arch Bridge over Tischer Creek was designed by famed landscape architect Charles Leavitt, Jr. His associates, Anthony Morell and Arthur Nichols, came to Duluth to oversee construction, and the pair were later hired by the city of Duluth. . . . — — Map (db m266397) HM

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9 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 8 — The Landscape — Glensheen Historic Estate —

The Congdons hired renowned landscape architect Charles Leavitt Jr. to create a gracious formal estate, while preserving the natural beauty of the property. Mr. Leavitt took the challenge, designing the Glensheen grounds almost exclusively from his . . . — — Map (db m266398) HM

10 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 9 — Servant's Courtyard — Glensheen Historic Estate —

This gated courtyard was reserved for the Congdons' staff. It functioned as a break space, a spot to hang laundry and the entrance point for deliveries, such as milk, ice and groceries. Perhaps most significantly, this is where the outside world . . . — — Map (db m266399) HM

11 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 10 — West Gate — Glensheen Historic Estate —

The Congdons' guests would have entered via London Road through the magnificent West Gate. Drivers would follow the serpentine brick wall allowing passengers to take in the Stone Arch Bridge then the front of the mansion with its striking shaped . . . — — Map (db m266598) HM

12 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 11 — Bent Brook — Glensheen Historic Estate —

Bent Brook is one of two creeks at Glensheen. During spring runoff or heavy rains, water flow can be wild — threatening to erode the landscape. To keep the brook from meandering, the waterway was lined with stones and cemented during the estate's . . . — — Map (db m266599) HM

13 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 12 — Bowling Green & Tennis Court — Glensheen Historic Estate —

By the early 1900s, the game of tennis was a bona-fide sport. Its popularity at the Olympic Games made it the darling of the country club set and so the Congdon estate required a court. However, to keep with the Northern aesthetics of the estate, . . . — — Map (db m266601) HM

14 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 13 — The Greenhouse — Glensheen Historic Estate —

The greenhouse allowed the Congdons to enjoy what the short Duluth summers could not give them — homegrown exotic fruit and flowers. Their indoor harvest included fruit from full-sized banana trees, as well as orchids, Easter lilies and poinsettia . . . — — Map (db m266602) HM

15 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — 14 — Carriage House — Glensheen Historic Estate —

Pictured is the south side of the Carriage House. The north side of the Carriage House was used as quarters for male employees and their families (if they had any). Between 1908 and 1915, there were at least three men living in the Carriage . . . — — Map (db m266673) HM

16 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — Glensheen Restoration — Thank you! — Glensheen Historic Estate —

In 2018, the Minnesota state legislature recognized the value of preserving Glensheen and supported the University of Minnesota's request for $4 million in capital investment. This funding was utilized to completely rebuild the fountain pool and . . . — — Map (db m266676) HM

17 ► Minnesota, Saint Louis County, Duluth, Congdon Park — Glensheen, A Family Legacy —

Campus Heritage Marker University of Minnesota Duluth Glensheen, A Family Legacy Glensheen estate was built between 1905 and 1908 for attorney Chester Adgate Congdon, his wife Clara Bannister Congdon and their . . . — — Map (db m6603) HM

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