Molly Brown House
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The Molly Brown House Museum was the home of Margaret Brown, known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" because she survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The museum in Denver, Colorado presents exhibits interpreting her life and that of Victorian Denver as well as architectural preservation.
It was built in the 1880s by William Lang, incorporating several popular styles of the period, including Queen Anne, for the original owners Isaac and Mary Large. They suffered 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 $30,000 U.S. 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 Denver Governor James B. Orman and his family. In 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 U.S. 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, using architectural research, paintchip analysis and original photographs taken in 1910 as a guide.
External Link
- Museum website (http://mollybrown.org/)