Glensheen Historic Estate
Glensheen Historic Estate, Historic mansion on Lake Superior in Duluth, United States.
Glensheen Historic Estate is a residence on the shore of Lake Superior in Duluth covering roughly 20,000 square feet (1,860 square meters) across five stories. The property sits on nearly 12 acres with maintained gardens, a boathouse, and a carriage house built during the same period.
Chester Adgate Congdon commissioned Clarence Johnston Sr. to build this residence, which was completed in 1908. The University of Minnesota Duluth later acquired the property from the family and opened it to the public as a museum.
The name comes from Gaelic words for valley and sheen, reflecting its location by the water. Visitors today see original furnishings such as handwoven rugs and stained glass windows that were influenced by European craft traditions of the period.
The University of Minnesota Duluth organizes tours through the house and grounds daily during the season. Photography is allowed indoors and in the gardens, letting visitors capture details of the interiors and landscaping.
The property gained national attention in 1977 when Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse were killed inside the house. This incident led to a widely followed criminal case that remains associated with the building today.
Location: Duluth
Inception: 1908
Architects: Clarence H. Johnston, Sr.
Architectural style: Tudor Revival architecture
Website: https://glensheen.wp.d.umn.edu
GPS coordinates: 46.81520,-92.05180
Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:33
These North American houses tell the story of big wealth built during the industrial age. Around the late 1800s and early 1900s, families like the Vanderbilts and the Hearsts built homes that mix European styles with new ideas in building. The Breakers in Newport draws from Italian Renaissance ideas with its 70 rooms. The Hearst Castle in California has art and old objects from Europe. Fallingwater, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935, is built over a waterfall in Pennsylvania, showing modern style. Other places like Pittock Manor in Portland or Vizcaya in Miami have decorated rooms and gardens. In Canada, Château Ramezay in Montreal dates back to the 1700s and keeps many items from New France. Château Craigdarroch in Victoria shows the love for woodwork and stained glass from Victorian times. These sites give a look into a world where buildings, gardens, and art collections were part of one whole. They reflect a time when people built to impress and last long.
Minnesota contains numerous locations away from the main tourist circuits. The state stretches from the shores of Lake Superior to the southern prairies, encompassing historic lighthouses, underground mines, waterfalls, and Japanese gardens. Visitors find both natural landscapes and cultural sites that tell the story of the region's history. Notable locations include prehistoric rock carvings at Jeffers Petroglyphs Site, where indigenous peoples left their marks thousands of years ago, and sacred trees of Ojibwe culture. The geological formation known as Devil's Kettle, a waterfall whose course puzzled scientists for years, attracts visitors interested in natural phenomena. Historic mines provide insight into Minnesota's industrial past, while lighthouses recall the maritime history along the largest of the Great Lakes.
Aerial Lift Bridge
5.1 km
William A. Irvin
5 km
Duluth Ship Canal
5 km
Glensheen - Historic Congdon Estate
8 m
Fitger Brewing Company
3.9 km
Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center
5.1 km
Duluth Harbor North Pier Light
4.7 km
Kitchi Gammi Club
3.5 km
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary
1.2 km
Oliver G. Traphagen House
2.6 km
Tweed Museum of Art
2.5 km
Duluth South Breakwater Inner Light
5.1 km
Duluth South Breakwater Outer Light
4.8 km
Starkey House
953 m
Chester Terrace
2.9 km
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sacred Heart School and Christian Brothers Home
5.1 km
Duluth Public Library
4.9 km
Lester River Bridge
4.2 km
St. Mark's African Methodist Episcopal Church
4 km
Canal Park
4.7 km
Endion School
2.2 km
Duluth Masonic Center
4.8 km
YWCA of Duluth
5.1 km
Pilgrim Congregational Church
1.7 km
Bridge L8515
2.2 km
Bridge L6113
986 m
William A Irvin Museum
5 km
Lyric Theatre, 114-116 West Superior Street
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