Skip to content

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley

Categories

MuseumsNon-Profit, Arts & Entertainment

About Us

The mission of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) is to preserve and enrich the cultural life and heritage of the Valley.

The Museum sits on land originally claimed by Winchester founder James Wood in 1735. The property was passed through generations of Wood and Glass families until being acquired by Wood descendant Julian Wood Glass Jr. between 1952 and 1955. Aided by a family fortune made in Oklahoma’s oil industry, Glass and his partner at the time, R. Lee Taylor, worked together to transform the site and its Glen Burnie House—built in 1794 by James Wood’s son Robert—into a country retreat. Taylor moved to the site in 1958 and while Glass visited his ancestral home, he was never a full-time resident at Glen Burnie. They furnished the home with objects Glass inherited along with eighteenth-and-nineteenth-century furniture and fine art that Glass purchased for the home. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century they surrounded the house with six acres of elaborate gardens. By 1960, Glen Burnie had become a showplace where the couple entertained in high style. Even after their romantic relationship ended in the 1970s, the two maintained a working relationship where Taylor continued to live and manage the estate while Glass divided his time between traveling, Glen Burnie, and his residences in Oklahoma, Texas, and New York City. The two men remained gracious hosts together until Glass's death in 1992. Taylor lived at Glen Burnie until his death in 2000.

Images

Gallery Image msv.jpg
Gallery Image trails.jpg
Gallery Image br.jpg
Gallery Image vf.jpg
Gallery Image msvg.jpg

Rep/Contact Info

Jenn Allen
Membership & Data Manager
Julie Armel
Deputy Director, Community Relations
  • Phone: (540) 662-1473 x225
Dana Hand Evans
Director & CEO
  • Phone: (540) 662-1473 x212
Jennifer Ritenour
Events & Volunteer Coordinator
Sam Scalph
Adult Programs Manager
  • Phone: (540) 662-1473 x226
Rachael Schoellen
Card image cap
Jennifer Sweetapple
Associate Director of Annual Giving
Kay Whitworth
Board Member
Laura Wiley
Senior Director of Institutional Advancement
  • Phone: (540) 662-1473