The Molly Brown House Museum 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.
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, 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. In 1926, Margaret turned the home into a boarding house under the supervision of her housekeeper. The house was sold after Margaret's death in 1932, for $6,000. The home then became a rooming house for men, a Jane AddamsHull 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 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.
