The Home of the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown

What would Margaret "Molly" Brown think of her legacy and mansion located in Denver Colorado? Referred to "Maggie" or Mrs. J. J. Brown in her life time, Mrs. Brown may have been amused by the farce of her life retold as the "Unsinkable Molly Brown."

Who knows, she may even applaud James Cameron's fictional love story in Titanic. It is possible she would have preferred her character as interpreted by Cameron for being more authentic to her true self.

However, I believe Mrs. Brown would be speechless if she saw her Victorian home "The Molly Brown Home Museum" today, restored in Denver's Historic Capitol Hill. If not left speechless by its appearance, Margaret Tobin Brown might be humbled by her legacy of political activism and philanthropy interpreted for visitors. The home has been set up to reflect Brown's lifestyle from 1894 to 1912.

The 7,600 square foot mansion is considered "average for an upper-middle-class" family of the time. It was purchased from Silver Barons Isaac and Mary Large who went bankrupt from the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1893. The house was designed by Architect William A. Lang. It was designed with an eclectic combination of classic Queen Anne, Romanesque and neo renaissance style. The exterior was constructed with rusticated lava stone or rhyolite, trimmed with red sandstone and salmon painted wood.

Like many Victorian houses of its time, the home was eventually sold and cut into smaller, rental units. Poised for demolition in 1970, Historic Denver, Inc. was formed to keep the mansion for preservation. Named to the National Registry of Historic Places and lovingly restored to its original condition, the Molly Brown home stands to illustrate the "rags to riches" wealth experienced during the Industrial Age.

The Molly Brown Home Museum is located at 1340 Pennsylvania Street in Denver's Historic Capitol Hill. Within walking distance of the Colorado State capital building, Capitol Hill was Denver's wealthiest neighborhood before the great depression. The museum's web site hosts a virtual walking tour that can offer additional perspective on her community. Several buildings are historically linked to Margaret Tobin Brown either as a benefactor or member.

While I was preparing this article, I was reminded of the story that the home at 1340 Pennsylvania Street represented Mrs. Brown's "failed" attempt at position within Denver society. If irony is observable here, I would have to say that Mrs. Brown's "attempt" has been honored by the choice of generations that followed her. The Titanic made her memorable but Molly Brown's choices and value for life is worth the visit nearly one hundred years later.

The Molly Brown Home Museum is open to the public for guided tours for a modest fee. Check web site www.mollybrown.org for museum days and times.

Sources:

Lewis, Jone Johnson. "Molly Brown." Viewable at http://womenshistory.about.com/od/westernamerica/p/molly_brown.htm.