Photography — History
Part Two: A Tour of the Glensheen Mansion
Photo essay about the Congdon estate in Duluth, Minnesota
As we continue on the tour of the Glensheen mansion, you will see the kitchen and the grounds of the estate. You can find part one of the tour here.
The kitchen was my second favorite space. Look at this stove. It’s a beast!
I felt like I was in Downton Abbey when I saw the bell system in the kitchen. I thought about what it must have been like for the staff working at the estate and the family members, especially during the winter months. What requests did they make of the kitchen staff? Tea? Coffee? A cocktail, or two?
Another beautiful piece of stained glass in the kitchen pantry.
Moving to the grounds of the property.
Glensheen sits on 12-acres of land in Duluth, Minnesota.
While we went on our tour, we noticed the U of MN is working on a project to clean up the gardens and fountain found at the back of the mansion. I would love to go back once that is restored.
The original boathouse on the shore of Lake Superior.
View from the shore. In the distance you can see the Aerial Lift Bridge in Canal Park in Duluth.
Tischer Creek runs from Lake Superior through the property.
Side view of the estate. The property is covered in lush trees and greenery. Many spots to sit and read a book for hours.
When you visit the property, you won’t see much information about the murder. I think that is in respect to the family. I did find this book at the gift shop, Will To Murder by Gail Feichtinger.
In 1977, Elisabeth Congdon, 83 years old, and her nurse were found murdered. Poor Elisabeth had been suffocated with a satin pillow and her nurse was killed with a candlestick. Apparently Elisabeth’s daughter and son-in-law killed them (for the money, of course).
If you find yourself in Duluth, take some time to tour the Glensheen Mansion.
We took our teenage sons this summer and they loved it, much more exciting than walking through a museum looking at artifacts.
Before we left for our trip, we showed them this outstanding video created by Jay Byrd Films. They shot the video in one take using a drone.
Read part one of the Glensheen mansion tour
References
About the murder of Elisabeth Congdon.
Learn more about Glensheen Mansion.