Glen Burnie was part of a 1735 grant to James Wood, who founded Winchester in 1752 and platted its lots. Wood’s log-and-stone house was replaced by the present brick dwelling by his son Robert. Glen Burnie remained the home of Wood’s descendants through the seventh generation. Although now within Winchester’s city limits, the estate preserves its rural character. Extensive gardens were laid out by Julian Wood Glass, Jr., the last of Wood’s descendants to live here, after he inherited the property in 1952. Within the gardens is the Wood family cemetery. The first floor of the oldest section, containing the stair hall and dining room, features some of the area’s most sophisticated Federal woodwork. The stair hall cornice is decorated with gougework and stars. The property is now a museum administered by the Glass-Glen Burnie Foundation; in 2015 it was included within the boundaries of an expanded Winchester Historic District.

An updated nomination for Glen Burnie was approved by the National Register in 2026. This additional documentation provides a revised and expanded interpretation of Glen Burnie’s history. It also reflects the physical changes and evolving uses of the site since its transformation from a private house to a museum and gardens. Dendrochronology, paint analysis, and historical research have clarified that the main house dates to 1792, with additions in 1794 and 1959. Glen Burnie, along with its gardens and outbuildings, has been part of the larger Museum of the Shenandoah Valley complex established in 2005.  The nominated acreage and boundaries for Glen Burnie remain unchanged from the original National Register listing of 1979.
[NRHP Approved: 10/15/2026]