Molly Brown House
Encyclopedia
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, socialite, and activist 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 architectural preservation.
The house was built in the 1880s by architect William A. Lang, incorporating several popular styles of the period, including Queen Anne Style architecture
, 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 USD$30,000 and the title was transferred to Margaret in 1898, possibly due to J.J.'s deteriorating health.
Margaret and the family traveled a lot of the time, and so the house was rented out. In 1902, it was the governor's mansion for the Governor of Colorado
and his family (Maggie invited the governor and his family to use her home while the governor's mansion was undergoing remodeling). During the Great Depression
, Margaret was forced to turn it into a boarding house under the supervision of her housekeeper. It was also during the Depression that the house was sold after Margaret's death in 1932, for $6,000. It was in disrepair, and the new owners drastically remodeled it to house 12 roomers.
The house continued to deteriorate and by 1970 was set for demolition, but a group of concerned citizens formed Historic Denver, Inc., 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.
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States that was the home of American philanthropist, socialite, and activist Margaret Brown
Margaret Brown
Margaret Brown was an American socialite, philanthropist, and activist who became famous due to her involvement with the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, after exhorting the crew of lifeboat 6 to return to look for survivors. It is unclear whether any survivors were found after life boat 6...
. Brown was known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" because she survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
now located in her former home presents exhibits interpreting her life and that of Victorian Denver as well as architectural preservation.
The house was built in the 1880s by architect William A. Lang, incorporating several popular styles of the period, including Queen Anne Style architecture
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
, for the original owners Isaac and Mary Large. They suffered financially from the crash resulting from the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act
Sherman Silver Purchase Act
The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was enacted on July 14, 1890 as a United States federal law. It was named after its author, Senator John Sherman, an Ohio Republican, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee...
in 1893 and were forced to sell the house. It was purchased by James Joseph Brown
James Joseph Brown
James Joseph "J.J." Brown , mining engineer, inventor, and self-made member of fashionable "society", was born in Waymart, Pennsylvania. His wife was RMS Titanic survivor Molly Brown....
(J.J.), Margaret's husband, in 1894 for USD$30,000 and the title was transferred to Margaret in 1898, possibly due to J.J.'s deteriorating health.
Margaret and the family traveled a lot of the time, and so the house was rented out. In 1902, it was the governor's mansion for the Governor of Colorado
Governor of Colorado
The Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the...
and his family (Maggie invited the governor and his family to use her home while the governor's mansion was undergoing remodeling). During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Margaret was forced to turn it into a boarding house under the supervision of her housekeeper. It was also during the Depression that the house was sold after Margaret's death in 1932, for $6,000. It was in disrepair, and the new owners drastically remodeled it to house 12 roomers.
The house continued to deteriorate and by 1970 was set for demolition, but a group of concerned citizens formed Historic Denver, Inc., 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.