Molly Brown House
Molly Brown House | |
 Front of the house | |
  | |
| Location | 1340 Pennsylvania St., Denver, Colorado |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°44′15.0″N 104°58′50.6″W / 39.737500°N 104.980722°WCoordinates: 39°44′15.0″N 104°58′50.6″W / 39.737500°N 104.980722°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1887 |
| Architect | George W. Clayton, William A. Lang |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000269[1] |
| CSRHP No. | 5DV.178 |
| Added to NRHP | February 1, 1972 |
The Molly Brown House Museum (also known as House of Lions) is a house located at 1340 Pennsylvania Street in Denver, Colorado, United States that was the home of American philanthropist, activist, and socialite Margaret Brown. Brown was known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" because she survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The museum, now located in her former home, presents exhibits interpreting her life and that of Victorian Denver as well as historic preservation. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is designated as a Denver Landmark.
History[]
The house was built in the 1880s by architect William A. Lang, incorporating several popular styles of the period, including Queen Anne style architecture in the United States, for the original owners Isaac and Mary Large. They suffered financially from the crash resulting from the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893 and were forced to sell the house. It was purchased by James Joseph Brown (J.J.), Margaret's husband, in 1894 for US$30,000 and the title was transferred to Margaret in 1898, possibly due to J.J.'s deteriorating health.
Margaret and the family traveled frequently, and so the house was often rented out. In 1902, it was the governor's mansion for the Governor of Colorado and his family (Margaret invited the governor and his family to use her home while the governor's mansion was undergoing remodeling). In 1926, Margaret turned the home into a boarding house under the supervision of her housekeeper.[2] The house was sold after Margaret's death in 1932, for $6,000. The home then became a rooming house for men, a Jane Addams Hull House settlement, and rooms and apartments for rent.
Restoration[]
The house continued to deteriorate and by 1970 was set for demolition, but a group of concerned citizens formed , raising the funds for the house to be restored to its former glory. In restoration, the group used architectural research, paintchip analysis, and original photographs taken in 1910 as guides to reconstructing it. Today the home is still owned by Historic Denver, Inc., and public tours are run daily for a fee.[3]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Iversen, Kristen (2018). Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth (3rd Ed). Johnson Books. ISBN 1555664687.
- ^ HouseFront[permanent dead link]
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Molly Brown House. |
- Museum official website
- "Visit the home of Molly Brown, survivor of the Titanic". Denver Post. March 22, 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12.
| Topics | |
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| Lists by state |
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| Lists by insular areas | |
| Lists by associated state | |
| Other areas | |
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- Colorado State Register of Historic Properties
- Historic house museums in Colorado
- Houses completed in 1887
- Houses in Denver
- Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado
- Museums in Denver
- National Register of Historic Places in Denver
- James Joseph Brown family residences
- 1887 establishments in Colorado
- Denver Landmarks