(Duluth, MN) — Oct 10th, 2022 — After being under construction since July 2021, the formal garden publicly reopened in September 2022. The brick walls in the formal garden and vegetable garden had deteriorated substantially over the years since they were first constructed due to water intrusion. This preservation effort allowed for the walls to be rebuilt, new drainage systems to be installed, and stairways to be rebuilt. An added benefit was the addition of four water spigots in the Formal Garden to aid in maintaining flowers, plants, and shrubs. Replacing the boiler in the mansion was also funded as a part of this investment in Glensheen. This allowed the opportunity to not only improve heating efficiency in the mansion, but also provide a backup boiler in the event of main boiler failure.
Glensheen’s mission is to celebrate preservation. These projects demonstrate the commitment to that mission in a grand way. Not only did the main project in this investment restore the overall integrity of the formal garden, but it also gave staff and planners the ability to replant the formal garden according to the original 1907 planting designs, which differ from the planting layout before construction began in 2021.
Thanks to $4 million in capital investment from the state legislature in 2018, important restoration projects have taken place on the historic estate. Interim Chancellor David McMillan is hosting this event to thank those who made this preservation work possible and for their continued support of UMD and Glensheen Mansion.
About Glensheen
Glensheen Mansion, perched on the shore of Lake Superior, is the most visited historic home in Minnesota and Duluth’s #1 Paid Attraction on TripAdvisor. The 12-acre estate features gardens, bridges, and the famous 39-room mansion built with remarkable 20th-century craftsmanship. It serves to tell the story of the Congdon family and the Duluth region.
Glensheen is a proud property of the University of Minnesota Duluth.
www.glensheen.org/
