The Illusive Swiss Chalet
A Day in the Life of a Glensheen Intern
Buried under Glensheen’s pristine grounds and tucked within its elegant walls, an untold history awaits. Hidden passageways, fresh mysteries, timeless treasures: the lives and lore of the Congdon family beckon from the walls of their prestigious manor. As research interns for Glensheen, it is our job to seek out these secrets and add them to the manor’s vibrant history.
But first, here’s something about your writers (yes, we’re going to talk about ourselves):
My name is Taylor Okeson: current senior at the College of St. Scholastica with a double major in History and English. I have been an intern at the Glensheen since November of 2013, and I love every minute of it. Coming into this internship I thought that there would be a set story, that there was nothing new to discover. I couldn’t have been more wrong. We discover new things every day at the Glensheen. It is an amazing opportunity.
And my name is Kristen Williams: recent English major graduate from the College of St. Scholastica, history enthusiast, and blogger extraordinaire. I came to Glensheen as a volunteer, hoping to work with my good friend Taylor (see above) and immediately fell in love with the mansion and grounds of the Glensheen estate.
Dan Hartman (the estate’s director) supplied us with a quest: search for the illusive swiss chalet. This mission arose when blueprints were found in the Congdon archives. These blueprints were for a small house to be built on the reservoir near Congdon park that is used to supply water to the Glensheen. It is not known whether the plans were ever carried out or if the building was simply destroyed. It is our job to find out.
Today, our work led us to Duluth’s City Hall, where we began our search for the estate’s many building permits. While the external layout of the mansion itself is well documented, the surrounding grounds and buildings have faded from contemporary knowledge. The swiss chalet is one such example. By sorting through the building permits, we hope to discover whether the building ever existed.
After sifting through piles of microfilms, we found…nothing. Nothing on the chalet, that is. However, our research did reveal permits pertaining to the origins of electric in the manor as well as plumbing, the elevator, and other modern conveniences. Here are a few of the documents:
I (Taylor) am especially partial to Clara H. Congdon, the wife of Chester and lady of the house. I recently completed an extensive research project centered on her life and works. I kind of geek out anytime I see something that is involved with her, so when I saw her signature I had to take a picture.
While our search for the hidden passages and fabled Swiss chalet may have been (technically) fruitless, we plan to continue our quest in the libraries of the University of Minnesota Duluth. Up next: Secret Passageways. Stay tuned.
