Iconic Brown Palace Hotel celebrating 130th anniversary

The iconic Brown Palace Hotel turned 130years old on August 12th. Opened in 1892, the Palace Hotel was the dream of Henry Cordes Brown. Brown was a carpenter-turned-real-estate entrepreneur. 

Brown owned several acres of land in Denver, including a triangular plot at the corners of Broadway, Tremont, and 17th Street, where he grazed his cows. Brown hired architect Frank E. Edbrooke to design the hotel, and work began in 1888. 

Edbrooke designed the Palace Hotel in the Italian Renaissance style, using Colorado red granite and Arizona sandstone for the building's exterior. Artist James Whitehouse added to the elegance by creating 26 medallions carved in stone, depicting Colorado animals. The medallions were laid into the building between the seventh-floor windows. 

The Brown Palace cost $1.6 million, which was a huge amount of money for that time. It had 400 guest rooms, which went for $3 and $5 a night. The beautiful old building currently holds 241 rooms.