One of the treasured destinations of the Shenandoah Valley is also one of the most dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the Valley’s cultural life and heritage: the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
Meet the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
From the ground up, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is rich in history. The key feature of the MSV and the reason it exists is Glen Burnie House. The original portions of Glen Burnie dates to 1794 while the land upon which it sits was part of the original 1735 James Wood land grant. Six acres of formal gardens are as magical to wander as they are soothing.
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Glen Burnie House
Built in the 1790s by Robert Wood, son of James Wood, Glen Burnie House became a place of entertainment by future owner and descendent Julian Wood Glass, Jr. It was Glass, Jr. and his partner R. Lee Taylor who created the lush formal gardens and made Glen Burnie an estate to be envied. Their efforts in the 1950s – while extensive to re-envision the many additions into new wings – both preserved and modernized the home. The gardens became an extension of the house as each “room” of the garden hosted a wide variety of dinners and parties.
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Julian Wood Glass, Jr., the last owner of Glen Burnie, created the Glass-Glen Burnie Foundation to allow the home and gardens to be open to the public after his death. He passed in 1992 and his intentions were fulfilled in 1997 when docent-led tours were offered. In 2011 the home was closed for a two-year renovation that included making the home accessible.
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In addition to the home and gardens, an actual museum is situated on the grounds. Opened in 2005, The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley displays Glass’s extensive collection through thematic exhibitions, as well as Shenandoah Valley art, furnishings, folk art, textiles, and more that has been acquired since 1999.
Glass & Taylor
To be clear, Julian Wood Glass, Jr. and R. Lee Taylor were intimate partners from 1947 until around 1970. Together they planned the renovation of the home and planned the gardens, traveled and collected, and hosted magnificent soirees and entertained guests.
When Glass and Taylor separated, Taylor remained at Glen Burnie as a caretaker while Glass traveled between homes in Oklahoma (where he was born), New York City, and Glen Burnie.
Julian Wood Glass, Jr. died in 1992 and is buried in Oklahoma. R. Lee Taylor died in 2000 and his ashes are interred in a wall of the Glen Burnie Family Cemetery.
Slavery at Glen Burnie
Every generation of the Wood family at Glen Burnie enslaved African Americans through the end of the Civil War. In fact, a family of four African Americans were still included as residents of Glen Bernie in the 1870 census. Learn more about the efforts to uncover and tell the stories of these enslaved people at Glen Burnie and at Rose Hill, the Glass family homestead also managed by The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
The Trails
Meander through an outdoor exhibition of art along The Trails at the MSV. Ninety acres are at your disposal – for free – to enjoy on foot or by bicycle. Feel free to bring your leashed dog to join you.
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Makerspace & Special Events
The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley has a Makerspace Studio filled with many fun gadgets and gizmos for you to create something special and unique. Throw and fire your own pottery or whip up something amazing with the 3D printer. Pay a fee to use the space or attend a special event with guided instruction.
- 4: Teen Holiday Wreath Workshop
- Select dates between December 5 and 28: Snow Globes
- 10: Holiday Centerpiece Workshop
- 11: Holiday Concert: Yesterday Swing Orchestra
- 14: Holiday Wreath Sale
- 15: Crocheted Gloves Workshop
- 31: First Night Winchester at the MSV
There is much to explore and learn about and do at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. Don’t delay in visiting. Plan now.
Header image courtesy of Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.