A Reflection of the Congdons

Helen Congdon on Her Wedding Day

How Design Choices in Glensheen Represent The Family's Values

By Emelia Kostecki

Family

Portrait of Chester Congdon in his youth

Chester Adgate Congdon

Chester was born in Rochester, New York, on June 12, 1853. After the death of his father and sister, he worked to support his widowed mother and siblings. He grew up in poverty and dreamt of a better life. Chester then went on to study law at Syracuse University, working as an educator in Wisconsin for some time before he passed the bar in Saint Paul, Minnesota. At this time, he felt ready to collect his wife, Clara Hesperia Bannister, and move to Saint Paul. Chester mainly gained wealth through investments in the steel and mining industry. He went on to become a Minnesota state legislator in 1909 until his death at the age of sixty-three in 1916. He helped build Duluth into what it is today.

Portrait of Clara Bannister in her youth

Clara Hesperia Bannister Congdon

Clara was born in San Francisco, California, on April 29, 1854. She spent most of her adolescence there until the death of her father in 1871. Her mother then moved the family to New York, where she went to the University of Syracuse. Clara studied art and was one of the first seven women to graduate there. After she graduated, she worked as a teacher of art at Alexandra College in Belleville, Ontario, as well as at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pennsylvania. She then married Chester and went on to raise a family with Chester. She has a legacy as a lover of the fine arts, as well as generous donations to various humanitarian causes.

Values

Chester and Clara met and fell in love in their first few years at Syracuse University. They both graduated together in 1875, although Chester felt that he could not marry Clara until he built enough wealth to support them and their future family. The five years they spent apart, both as teachers, furthered their love for education. They hoped that all of their children, male or female, could receive an education. Chester had originally dreamt of studying law at Yale, but could not afford tuition. This dream was instead fulfilled through his three sons, Walter, Edward, and Robert.

Chester and Clara travelled widely with their kids and saw it as an opportunity to educate themselves further in the world. They took many treasures home with them, using these items to decorate their house. Another shared interest that the Congdons had was a genuine love for the arts. They would invest in well-known artists and pieces, as many other wealthy families did, along with lesser-known artists.

At Glensheen, you will find various types of artworks. This includes artwork commissioned as well as purchased by Chester and Clara, and even paintings done by Clara herself. The artwork spans from local Duluth and Minnesota artists, cross-country artists, and global artists. A few types of art include portraits of family, famous poets and scholars, landscapes, fountains, statues, ornamentations, and rugs. Landscape paintings were of places in Duluth, Minnesota, the greater United States, as well as Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The family overall believed in contributions to the city around them, to create a thriving Duluth. We see this with Chester donating money to help preserve the North Shore and Clara donating and getting involved with many humanitarian causes. This is a value passed on to their children, with the continued contributions to creating a better future for Duluth.

A Painting of Chester in his middle ages, hung above a bookshelf

Family Portraits

The Congdons made sure to have portraits of themselves and their family around the house. This was a reminder of their humble upbringing, and a way to honour these family members. The house was, overall, a constant reminder of the family built by Clara and Chester.

Global Influence

Any wealthy family of this time would make sure to purchase paintings from well well-known artist, as it was an investment for them with the possibility of a profit. Clara and Chester also participated in this, buying pieces that were upwards of 5000 dollars. The pair would also bring back treasures of their travels, including pieces from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Pomegranate Pillow

Hellenism

Around the house, one would see various elements of Hellenism, an art style influenced by ancient Greece. These elements of Greece could have been of interest aroused by their travels, as well as a product of the times. A guest could walk around the house and see the signs of status through these elements of the classics.

Alabaster light

Hermes Statue

Ornament Sconce

Local Art

Clara and Chester loved not only the well-known artists of the time, but also the local artists of Duluth and Minnesota. We see landscapes of Duluth, artists, designers, and architects all hire from the Midwest. The Congdons supported the growth of Duluth, and their house was a reflection of that.

Scholars

The house includes paintings of famous scholars, historical figures, and legends. This is a perfect example of how the Congdon showcases their knowledge and honours education. Clara reproduced the painting “David” by Peter Paul Reuban, depicting the ancient King David of Israel.

Photograph of a bedroom, two paintings hanging above the bed

Photo of bedroom, painting of a man hanging above bed

Portrait of Elisabeth Congdon, wearing pearls

Elisabeth Mannering Congdon

Elisabeth was born in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1894 and was the youngest daughter of Chester and Clara. She studied at Vassar College until the death of her father in 1916, when she then went home to help her mother with the upkeep of the estate. She never married, but instead adopted and raised two daughters at the estate. This is where she lived until her tragic murder in 1977. She lived a charitable life, continuing her mother's legacy of humanitarian work. A crown achievement for her was opening the women's health clinic with her friend, Elizabeth Bagely, helping to further women's health in Duluth. She agreed to give Glensheen to the University of Minnesota Duluth, solidifying the legacy of her family's value for education.

Black and white picture, front of Glensheen

Close up of the fountain in the formal gardens

Black and white photo of the back of Glensheen from the formal gardens

Photos by Kenneth J. Moran

Citation

1882?."Studio portrait of Chester Adgate Congdon." Archives and Special Collections, Kathryn A. Martin Library, University of Minnesota Duluth, Accessed December 08, 2025. https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll524:3

1884-09-29."Studio portrait of Clara Hesperia Bannister." Archives and Special Collections, Kathryn A. Martin Library, University of Minnesota Duluth, Accessed December 08, 2025. https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll524:36

Moran, Kenneth J.. 1978-07."Exterior of Glensheen." Archives and Special Collections, Kathryn A. Martin Library, University of Minnesota Duluth, Accessed December 09, 2025. https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll484:3026

Moran, Kenneth J.. 1978-07."Fountain in front of Glensheen." Archives and Special Collections, Kathryn A. Martin Library, University of Minnesota Duluth, Accessed December 09, 2025. https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll484:3188

Moran, Kenneth J. 1977-07." 'David' a Rembrandt copy painted by Clara Congdon in Glensheen's Library." Archives and Special Collections, Kathryn A. Martin Library, University of Minnesota Duluth, Accessed December 08, 2025. https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll484:2662

"Studio portrait of Elisabeth Mannering Congdon, wearing pearls." Archives and Special Collections, Kathryn A. Martin Library, University of Minnesota Duluth, Accessed December 09, 2025. https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll524:29

Webb, Jennifer D. "Golden Age collecting in America's Middle West." Journal of the History of Collections, 14 August. 2009.

Aue, S. Congdon Family papers. Accessed December 10, 2025. https://archives.lib.umn.edu/repositories/22/resources/9334.

Glensheen. “Women of Glensheen.” Glensheen, March 9, 2024. https://glensheen.org/blog/women-of-glensheen/.

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