On the North Shore of Minnesota, an old mansion sits on the shores of Lake Superior. Glensheen, built by the Congdons in the early 1900’s, is a great historic place to visit in the Duluth area. As September continued into it’s last weeks, my wife and I decided to take in a day at Glensheen exploring the mansion, gardens, and Lake Superior. Thankfully it was a nice fall day, almost requiring some time lounging by the shore taking in the views of Duluth off in the distance. The trees were just beginning to show the brilliance of fall yet to come. Our first order of business was to take a self guided tour of the main house. It’s always interesting to see the extravagance put into some of these wealthy homes.
While wondering through the entrance and into the living room, so many details where evident such as little knickknacks purchased from far away places. It seems that the first level of many of these large mansions are dedicated to entertaining and this one is no different. Guests are obviously an important part of those able to afford such a place. I’m sure these entertaining spaces help instill confidence to fellow business associates justifying there need. Many pieces in this place caught my attention but the most impressive to me was the staircase railings. Details put into this woodwork are things you just don’t see very often even though they should be easier to make with today’s technology. Studying the patterns and designs of the staircase, and stained glass windows illuminating them, could take awhile as they are so intricate and interesting. But there’s more to see so a few pictures to study later and it was off to the next level.
Entering the living area of the house provided a view into the Congdon’s personal lives and how they lived. Another surprise to me was the use of multiple showerheads in their showers. I didn’t realize this was a practice at the time this house was built. It seemed to be more of a modern incorporation but clearly has been around much longer.
Probably my favorite place in this huge mansion was the breakfast area. This was certainly designed for a relaxing start to the day with its wood ceiling and numerous stained glass windows which appeared as though tree branches were hanging down over the entire room. Through the glass are some of the beautiful gardens with Lake Superior as a backdrop. Almost every meal should be spent here in my opinion but there was a grand dining room in which to eat the last meal of the day nearby. Both of these dining areas had a nice view overlooking the landscape and lake.
Moving on through the house, another room that surprised me was the infirmary. A house with it’s own hospital room? How often did people get sick? I wondered if this would be an effective place in 2020 with the Coronavirus pandemic continuing. However back when this place was built, the personal care given while at home was likely better and more comfortable than at a hospital. After exploring each level consisting of bedrooms, studies, and places of entertainment, it was off to grab some food on one of the beaches of Glensheen. Listening to the waves crash against the shoreline creating a rhythmic, peaceful sound almost lulling someone to sleep under the September sun.
Upon the completion of our meal, my wife and I headed for the gardens of this estate. Many are still kept up in similar fashion to when the Congdons lived there. There are fruit trees, vegetables, and several flower gardens filling the grounds around the mansion. Near their vegetable gardens are tennis courts and an area once used for lawn bowling, a popular past time in the early 1900’s. Greenhouse also existed for fresh winter produce which have since been taken down. A stream runs nearby with a stately bridge built over it leading to walking paths. Unfortunately those paths are now gone so once you cross the bridge you have to turn around. While walking around the property, we had noticed preparations for an event to be held that night which appeared to be a wedding. This would certainly be a grand location for such an ceremony. With many areas of this beautiful estate explored, we returned to the beach, which had chairs and a firepit, to enjoy more of the afternoon sun while gazing out over Lake Superior and the Duluth canal and lift bridge. As the afternoon wore on we decided to say goodbye to Glensheen and find a nice place to eat before the sun set behind the hills of the city. A wonderful day to spend at the Congdon’s residence!
