The Year: 1912
The Date: April 14
The Woman: Molly Brown
Still not sure who this Molly Brown character is? Let your mind wander back to James Cameron’s floating melodrama, Titanic. Yes, the one with Leo and Kate – don’t pretend, you know you saw it (at least once). Now think about Kathy Bates’ character, that big, bossy, boisterous woman who lent Mr. DiCaprio a suit and was his only ally in the upper class.
That’s our girl, Molly Brown. Well, actually Margaret Brown. Strangely enough, she was never called Molly during her life and was somehow given the nickname posthumously.
I say strange, because she was a woman who liked control and organization. Sure she was a feisty broad who bent the rules a time or two, but something tells me that her proud nature wouldn’t have liked being assigned a new name after death.
Unbeknownst to me, Mrs. Brown and her husband, James Joseph, lived in Denver, Colorado for years before the sinking of the Titanic; he the superintendent of a mine, she a social butterfly and visionary philanthropist.
When I stumbled upon their downtown home, it took me a few minutes to place the name, ‘Molly Brown? Why do I know that?’ It wasn’t until I entered the ticket office behind the manor and saw posters advertising the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, that I placed the name. ‘Of course, the Unsinkable Molly Brown!’
I didn’t hesitate to buy a ticket and jump into the next available tour.
The Brown’s moved into the house in 1895 and quickly became a fixture in Denver’s aristocratic elite. Molly was known for throwing lavish parties and on one occasion, entertained 800 people at the house (the house is quite large, but I still can’t fathom cramming 800 people into it!)
Upon entering the house, I was struck by its dim lighting, highly decorated walls and heavily curtained windows. Though a musty smell filled the air and the place certainly felt old, it was dripping with opulence.
The entryway (a space called a Turkish Corner) was filled with treasures from all over the world- its sole purpose to immediately impress upon guests how wealthy and well traveled the Brown’s were.
Intricate statues, crystal vases, fur rugs, and rich furniture filled every room.
I was particularly impressed with the library, a room that Molly designed herself.
She was a renaissance woman; spoke 6 languages, played piano, sang, painted and had a hand in nearly a dozen charitable organizations – chairing many of them.
The house was outfitted with electricity, a phone line, indoor plumbing and steam heat. Servants lived in a separate carriage-house behind the manor.
Her wealth was certainly unquestionable but so was her power of persuasion and kind nature. On the night the Titanic sank, she tried to coordinate efforts to put more people into each lifeboat, before she herself was thrown into one against her will by a crewmember who thought she was being a nuisance. Her lifeboat, built to hold 60 people, only seated 27.
In the water, she doled out her extra clothing to others and demanded that the lifeboat turn back to search for survivors – a demand that was ignored.
Once aboard the Carpathia, it took her less than three days (before the ship even reached New York) to found the Titanic Survivors Committee and raise $10,000 from fellow First Class survivors.
In a stroke of genius, she did this by publishing a list of who had donated and how much, to encourage shame those who hadn’t donated yet.
At 5’7” with auburn red hair, she was a woman who always stood out in a crowd. Though she was born on the East Coast, her Western roots set the tone for her relatively laid-back and progressive attitude.
Know Before You Go:
– In honor of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the House will offer special Titanic themed tours through the end of 2012.
– The House is located at 1340 Pennsylvania Street in Downtown Denver, just a short walk from the State Capitol Building and the Arts District.
– The only way to see the inside of the House is with a guided tour. Both regular and the special Titanic themed tours last about an hour.
– Photography is not allowed inside the House.
– There is a special interactive Titanic exhibit that is great for kids and adults alike!
