The Glensheen Mansion is one of Duluth Minnesota's beautiful architectural and historical wonders. Clara and Chester Congdon, home owners of the Glensheen, wanted it to be a reflection of their hard work, personal values, and to be a place to share with family and friends. Clara and Chester wanted to be able to call The Glensheen Mansion a true home. Clarence H. Johnston, who was the architect, started to design the Glensheen in 1903. Clarence H. Johnston took inspiration from Benthall Hall, an English country house, and Hammoon Manor for the facades of the Glensheen mansion. Johnston decided to go with a Jacobean Revival architectural design that would complement the cold and snowy climates of Duluth Minnesota. With the design, the materials of the Glensheen also had to keep up with the climate of Duluth. 

In the Glensheen Mansion there are 39 rooms that all have their own unique use and style. The featuring spaces in the Glensheen on the main level floor there is a boiler room, amusement room, Billiards room, a play room, laundry room, and a winter garden. The main floor in the Glensheen consists of the dining room, breakfast room, Butler's pantry, kitchen, Cooks pantry, Servants dining room, sewing room, reception room, smoking room, library, and the living room. 

The second floor is mainly used as the woman's floor which consist of a female guest room, Elisabeth's room (the youngest daughter), Maid's room, servants quarters, linen closet, Helen's room (the second oldest daughter), Marjorie's room ( the oldest daughter), and the Master bedroom with Clara's changing room, master bathroom, and Chester's room. Everyone also has their own bathroom, and most rooms all have fireplaces for show.

 The top floor consisted of the boys quarters with bedrooms for the Congdon sons Walter (the oldest son), Edward (the second oldest son), Jon (who was the third oldest but sadly only lived for two years), Robert (the youngest son), and Clara's nephew Alfred. This floor also had a sick room, and a suite for married guests to stay while visiting the Congdon's. 

The architectural features and the design throughout the interior of the Glensheen Mansion show that Clara and Chester purposely chose to minimize its formal elements as the Glensheen Mansion was going to be there home for settling down. The act of minimizing the homes formal elements would make it more appropriate for the Congdon family. Although Clara and Chester chose to minimize the Glensheens formal elements, they chose to invest in art prices that would be able to still complement the richness of the architectural interior that the Glensheen holds. We also see elements of nature in the design throughout the Glensheen with green leaves in the stained glass in the Breakfast Room, details of fruits on a fireplace, and other small details within the sculptures, paintings, and other decorative elements they chose to put in the home.  

Although each of these rooms throughout the Glensheen have different uses and different decor, they all are made up of the same materials. Architect Clarence H. Johnston shared with Clara and Chester on how all the materials used will be new and the best of their several kinds. This shows us that the Glensheen Mansion was very important to Clara and Chester, and how they wanted the best for their home. The materials of the Glensheen consist of Rookwood tile made by Rookwood Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Rookwood was the largest, long lasting, and arguably the most important of them more than 150 art pottery operations in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th century.

 Tiffany Enameled Brick was an important element in the construction of the Glensheen, and were Chicago made bricks that were popular for spaces like garages. There is concrete flooring through ought the home that is up to 12" thick for fireproofing. Star Stomp Tile at the Glensheen was designed to create a non-slippery surface, and even wealthy cities use these streets. Another tile that was used at the Glensheen was Grueby Tile which was made by Grueby Co. Of Boston, these tiles textured glaze made them a popular tile for high and interiors like the Glensheen. Other materials are Cast Plaster, Asphalt and Cork Brick, and Structural terracotta. These rooms also consisted of hard wood floors, different types of wallpaper, unique fireplaces, and all seeme to each have their own color scheme.

The elegant facade and exterior of the architectural design of the Glensheen consists of read brick, granite trim, on top of a steel beam frame, with original terracotta roof tiles on the roof of Glensheen. These terra-cotta roof tiles are original terracotta tiles which were designed to drain water with its lipped edges and give the roof texture. These tiles complement the red brick throughout the exterior of the Glensheen and beyond their practicality, the terracotta tiles add texture, depth, and warmth to the roofline, creating a similar contrast with the red brick walls below. Together, all of these materials were carefully picked out not only for their aesthetic appeal, but also for their ability to withstand the cold, snowy weather of Duluth Minnesota. 

In conclusion, the Glensheen Mansion is a remarkable example of the Jacobean Revival architectural design style that architecture Clarence H. Johnston wanted to achieve throughout the design of Glensheen. The architecture and design throughout the Glensheen Mansion clearly reflect the values that Clara and Chester Congdon wanted in their home that they settle down with their family. The Glensheen's carefully planned rooms, with each having their own purpose and unique style demonstrates how layout and architecture can shape the home to fit the family's personal values. What was once a family home for the Congdon's now serves as a significant historical landmark in Duluth Minnesota which allows the public to witness the beautiful architecture and design that the Glensheen Mansion has.