Exploring Glensheen

An overview: Final Projects

Group of students standing in front of the Glensheen facade. Visible behind them is the stone around the door and the red brick

Students and Glensheen staff standing in front of Glensheen (photo: Jennifer Webb)

Students in ARTH 3331: European Architecture & its Legacy (fall 2025), we asked to translate the questions we had been asking about architecture, patronage, built landscape, and experience to a building closer to home: Glensheen: the Historic Congdon Estate.

View down the hallway of Glensheen's third floor

Glensheen, view down the third floor hallway (photo: Jennifer Webb)

Step 1: Explore Glensheen

Ash Howard (Education Coordinator) and Milissa Brooks-Ojibway (Collections Manager) at Glensheen walked the students through the house providing tour information & answering questions. Thanks Ash & Milissa!

Three students look at documents from the archive. Storage box in the foreground

Three students looking at documents (photo: Hunter Riley)

Step 2: Engage with the Archival materials

The Congdon Family papers are housed at the Archives at UMD.

Special thanks to Aimee Brown and Shana Aue from Kathryn A. Martin Library Archives and Special Collections for working with us on this research adventure!

Glensheen, view of luster fireplace, mantle, sculptures and decorated Christmas tree

Glensheen, fireplace and surroundings in the Library

(photo: Jennifer Webb)

Step 3: Present findings & write blogs

Each student created their own blog post focusing on a particular aspect of Glensheen's design, history, and experience that interested them. Navigate to each page, organized by the students' names.

Happy reading!

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