The Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
303.832.4092
Fax: 303.832.2340

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In 1894, Maggie and J.J. followed the lead of other wealthy Leadvillites and moved to Denver. Their family was growing, and they often had relatives staying with them for extended periods of time. Additionally, the winters in Leadville were, at best, difficult. Moving to Denver would also afford the young family more social opportunities.

The House in Denver Before the Brown's Renovated It

After renting a home for a time, the Browns moved to 1340 Pennsylvania Avenue (now Street). Renowned architect William Lang built the house for Isaac and Mary Large. Mary's health, however, was poor and the couple decided to move to the more rural community of Montclair about ten miles east of their Capitol Hill home.

Their new home provided everything Margaret and J.J. could want. The house, at 7,600 square feet, was considered merely an upper-middle-class home. It had electric lights, a telephone, indoor plumbing (including one indoor bathroom with hot and cold running water), and forced heat and air. There was a formal parlor, dining room and sunroom for entertaining important guests as well as a family parlor and library to relax. The family each had their own bedroom, and there was even one left for Margaret's parents. Female servants lived on the third floor of the home while their male counterparts lived on the second floor of the carriage house. Finally, there was a large, very modern kitchen complete with both a butler's pantry and a cook's pantry.

Over the course of several years the Browns altered the original structure of the home. Outside they added a stone retaining wall separating the lawn from the sidewalk. They approximately doubled the size of the carriage house and bricked in the two individual wooden porches along the back of the house creating a more permanent, usable space year round. Margaret switched the location of the family parlor and library. She also extended the grand staircase from the second floor to the third, replacing the original plain staircase, apparently for entertaining purposes.

In 1902 Governor James Orman and his family rented the house at 1340 Pennsylvania while the Browns were traveling in Europe. Gossip columnist Polly Pry tells us that there was a dispute between Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Orman when the Browns returned. Apparently Governor Orman chewed tobacco, a common habit at the time, and Mrs. Brown had not provided cuspidors in which to spit.

Content from Kristen Iversen's book, Molly Brown, Unraveling the Myth.  Published by Johnson Books in 1999.