Only secondary to a look at the exterior, the experience of the guest in the interior space is just, or not more, important. The way that a family or estate greets its guests upon arrival can say a lot about what the family would expect from those staying with them for a few hours or months at a time. Chester and Clara Congdon were no exception to that rule. All 39 rooms of the mansion have details reminiscent of not only the people living within them but also their histories. Rooms in Glensheen were made by design, and each member of the family was able to choose not only their rooms and their space, but also their decoration and furnishings as well. 

While each room can tell us about what the family valued in specifics, going anywhere from the type of decorating style and architecture to the small trinkets that they collected along the way, they can also tell us where guests were more likely to stay and to be. The detailwork and the ornate-ness of the rooms, and their chosen interiors, work seamlessly to create a space that highlights the family and their personal design interests. The experience of the guest at Glensheen, and even modern-day guests to the museum, is influenced heavily by choice of design, style, and detailwork in each room of the mansion. Taking a look at some of the most visited, least visited, and personal vs. public rooms of the house, one can get an idea of the distinct personalities present in each room, and even those adjacent to it.

Given how large the space of the mansion is, it was important for Chester and Clara Congdon to host their guests with prestige and be welcoming, while also acknowledging that they were wealthy and not afraid to act as such. The reception room is the second place a guest would enter as they were first acknowledged at the front door by a butler. The butler would first offer to take your coat as you stand in the green hexagonal tiles of the entryway, looking forward at the main hallway or the double glass doors with decorative stained glass ahead of you. The butler would then send you through pocket doors into the reception room to your right, where you were invited to sit and wait for whichever member of the family you have come to see. 

Material was a large portion of the Congdon’s decorative aspects, selecting pieces if they fit or were to make a statement. And what better kind of statement than that of a gold ceiling? Of course the brightly lit, reflective gold leaf ceiling and accompanying light fixtures would catch your eye; that is what they were there for (Glensheen Employee Resources). The gold surface would reflect light outside through the open curtains, and would also maintain the light from the inside of the room with either the large central fixture or the smaller rim fixtures. A gold ceiling to start sets the initial precedent that the Congdons know what their space is worth, they know how to entertain and how to set the example for the rest of the time. It may be a reassuring space for those looking to meet with the family after a long time away– “Ah, they seem to be doing just fine.”– or perhaps a warning to future business partners?– “A ceiling of gold? This might be out of my league.”– or other thoughts of the sort. The alabaster center fixture and vase are slightly transparent, due to their material, and thus would help create the idea of a composite space, one where wealth is ornament.

The library, while not likely to have been visited by guests, is a room with a lot of influence. The decoration, when entering from the living room or the main first floor hallway, have different aspects to them that each mean you can cross paths with the decoration inside in different ways. Upon entering from the hallway you are greeted by a view of a large panel of windows, a sitting area, and to your left a large fireplace and, to your right, the collection of books. If, however, you enter from the living room (both entrances could be open or closed, they are both enclosed with pocket doors) your first impression is that of the fireplace. The grand fireplace with mosque lights on either side (Glensheen Employee Resources) light up the inside of the room, while using the small sconces or not. The fireplace made of a light gray tile with a center display of lustre tiles creates a contrast to the dark wood present in the rest of the space. 

The library is open and welcoming, even the shelves end around shoulder/head height and don’t feel overly oppressive in the space. You are not only invited to sit down and read, to look out the window towards Lake Superior and her spectacular sights, but you can also take a breath with the art. Paintings are at least one to a wall, and they create a barrier between the academic books and the creativity of the space. The silk damask makes a return here in the library (previously seen as the wallpaper in the Reception Room) and the coffered/beamed ceiling makes noise retain and not echo loudly. The design is cohesive both with the living room, with its dark woods and specific colors, but also with the hallway’s honey woods and low light. Balanced with the central placement of the fireplace the library is not only a place to sit and think, but also one to relax and to sit with your thoughts.

Through looking at the interior spaces at Glensheen and their detailing, we can see that the spaces were curated to be experienced through a certain lens. That lens could be modified, could be used multiple times, and it could be decorated, but it was still meant to be used. A guests experience at Glensheen would be one of overwhelming detail, private spaces, working spaces and a great view of Lake Superior.

Congdon, Chester. Collection. Glensheen Archives, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN.

Glensheen Training and Employee Resources.

Glensheen Map.

William French Furniture Company Collection (N275), Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis. https://archives.lib.umn.edu/repositories/8/resources/2157 Accessed December 11, 2025.