Restoration of the Stained Glass at the Molly Brown House Museum
Stained glass, prior to restoration Like many historical houses, the Molly Brown House Museum has restored many aspects of the home to its original beauty. In 2018, Phil and Jane Watkins, of Watkins Stained Glass, restored the original stained glass on the north façade of the house. As noted in a previous blog post, the…
Margaret’s Christmases Through the Years
Christmas in Hannibal, Missouri-Margaret’s Childhood Margaret Tobin (later Brown) celebrated her very first Christmas in Hannibal, Missouri. She was born in 1867, just after the Civil War, to hard working Irish immigrants John and Johanna Tobin. When Margaret was three years old, Christmas became a United States holiday. Christmas trees became popular in England and…
Historically Grand: Historic Denver Turns 50
Fifty years ago, on December 11th, 1970, a non-profit officially incorporated as Historic Denver, Inc. Concerned citizens had watched the demolition of several iconic Denver buildings in years prior, so this group banded together and started with saving 1340 Pennsylvania Street. Designed by William Lang and occupied by Titanic survivor and social activist Margaret Tobin…
127 Years and Counting
Throughout 2020, we have been commemorating the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment which made it possible for most women to vote. Did you know that this year Colorado women will be celebrating 127 years of voting? On November 7th, Colorado marks the anniversary of the 1893 referendum which gave the women of…
Artifact Highlight: the Lions
It is a well-known fact that Margaret Brown traveled to many places throughout the world. From New York to India, Paris to Moscow, she visited dozens of places over the course of her life, often picking up artifacts, art and inspiration along the way. One of the most striking and prominent examples of this in…
Readily Achievable: Historic Properties and the ADA
Sunday, July 26, 2020 marked the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This landmark civil rights law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities “in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.”[1] The ADA added to previous disability…
No More War, No More Plague: Denver and the Spanish Flu of 1918
Walter Reed Hospital Flu Ward [1910-1920]. Courtesy of Library of Congress It begins with a headache and tiredness followed by a dry, hacking cough. Loss of appetite and stomach problems develop; on the second day, excessive sweating. The symptoms are so severe that it is misdiagnosed at first as cholera, typhoid and dengue. The majority…