Molly Brown House

Molly Brown House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Colorado State Register of Historic Properties
Front of the house before restoration and painting completed in 2018
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Location	1340 Pennsylvania St., Denver, Colorado
Coordinates	39°44′15.0″N 104°58′50.6″W / 39.737500°N 104.980722°W / 39.737500; -104.980722
Area	less than one acre
Built	1889
Architect	William A. Lang, Land Developers John W. Smith and George W. Clayton
Architectural style	Queen Anne Richardsonian Romanesque
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 in Denver, Colorado, United States that was the home of American philanthropist, activist, and socialite Margaret Brown. She survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic and was known as the “Heroine of the Titanic” for her service to survivors. She later became known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown". The museum is her former home and presents exhibits interpreting her life, Victorian Denver and historic preservation. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is designated as a Denver Landmark.

History[edit]

The house was designed by architect William A. Lang,^[2] and built in 1889, incorporating several popular styles of the period, including Queen Anne style architecture in the United States and Richardsonian Romanesque for the original owners Isaac and Mary Large. After the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893, the Large family sold 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.^[3] 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 and after[edit]

The house continued to deteriorate and by 1970 concerns arose about its impending demolition, but a group of concerned citizens formed Historic Denver, Inc., raising the funds for the house to be restored to its former state. While restoring the home, the group used architectural research, paint chip analysis, and original photographs taken in 1910 as guides. The home is owned by Historic Denver, Inc., and public tours are run daily for a fee.^[4] It has been a museum since 1971.^[5]

There is a trail marker outside the home as part of the National Votes for Women Trail;^[6] the marker was stolen in November 2023, but was found later that month.^[7]

• 
  Interior doorknob
• 
  Fireplace detail
• 
  Brown Family Photo
• 
  House 1889
• 
  Captain Rostron and Margaret Brown with the Loving Cup
• 
  Votes for Women
• 
  Stained Glass Detail

See also[edit]

• The Molly Brown Summer House

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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 December 12, 2021.
• Historic Denver official website