Denver
Molly's Neighborhood
Geography/Geology Lesson Plan for Grade 9-12
Molly Brown House and Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
Denver, Colorado
303-382-4092
The Molly Brown House Museum, located at 1340 Pennsylvania Street, is part of the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood in downtown Denver. Built in 1889 by architect William Lang, the home was purchased in 1894 by Margaret "Molly" Brown and her husband J.J. In 1894 Capitol Hill was considered to be one of the nicest neighborhoods in Denver. Even in the late 19th Century, one could find small bungalows, middle-class homes and enormous mansions within blocks of each other. The Molly Brown House was considered an upper-middle-class home and, consequently, a good representation of a variety of the styles found in the neighborhood.
A virtual walking tour of this historic neighborhood has been completed through the efforts of the Colorado Digitization Program and Molly Brown House Museum staff. On-line visitors can view eight separate buildings as they looked in 1900 to 1910, and as they look today. Each building represents a different aspect of Mrs. Brown's interests and life.
- The State Capitol Building was chosen to represent Margaret's political activism - she was an active member of the Woman's Suffrage Party and ran for the national congress.
- Mrs. Brown was a devout Irish Catholic and was the primary fundraiser for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
- Margaret was a founding member of the Denver Woman's Press Club, which also represents her dedication to her lifelong pursuit of education.
- St. Mary's Academy, one of the finest Catholic girls' schools west of the Mississippi, was located two doors down from the Brown home until it moved to larger quarters in Englewood in the 1950s. This structure again represents Margaret's pursuit of education and her Catholic background as well as her devotion to charitable activities.
- Of course, the Molly Brown House Museum is represented.
- Dennis Sheedy's home, the Sheedy Mansion, is included in the tour as well. Mr. Sheedy, also a devout Irish Catholic, would likely have socialized with the Brown family. Additionally, his life story closely parallels Margaret and J.J. Brown's.
- Mary Byers Robinson was the daughter of William Byers, the owner of the Rocky Mountain News, and would have moved in similar social circles with the Browns.
- The Dunning-Benedict home is another product of architect William Lang, and was built in the same year as the Molly Brown House
