Doors Open Denver 2019

This past Saturday afternoon I visited a number of sites participating in this year's Doors Open Denver, a weekend event when many homes and other buildings of architectural interest are opened for public view.  At one time, all of these sites were free of charge, but for the past two years, the majority of the buildings are open only for guided tours, at a cost of $12 each. Staying true to my cheapskate roots, I decided to visit only the free sites, and concentrated on visiting old Denver mansions, just in case I ever buy one and need decorating ideas, I started with the Fitzroy Mansion, located just down the street from my condo.  It is built of red stone, constructed in 1893, and is now a school.  It is definitely impressive, although given that it was converted into a school,  the 1890s ambiance has been diminished.  Next, I visited the Cass Mansion, located in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood, where the wealthy lived in the late 1800s.  This place (seen in the photo on the left) was truly impressive. It houses offices for two companies, but is still furnished in period style, including both a formal living and dining room.

The Cass Mansion, by the way, was the home from 1975 to 1990 of Ann B. Davis, who starred as "Schultzy" in Love That Bob, the old Bob Cummings 1950s TV Show, and as housekeeper Ann Nelson in the Brady Bunch television series.  After the Brady Bunch ended, Nelson started working with the Episcopal Church and William Frey, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado.  Next I visited the Capitol Hill Mansion, a bed and breakfast in the same area, seen in the photograph on the right.  According to it's brochure, it has won many awards and features 8 unique guestrooms. It was built in 1891, and I must say the living room and dining room were both very nice, although a chair was placed at the landing of the stairway, and visitors were not allowed to see any of those guestrooms.  What are they hiding?

Pennsylvania Street, where that bed and breakfast is located, has many old mansions located on it, including the home of the unsinkable Molly Brown, although that particular house is now a museum, and you have to pay the standard entrance fee to see it, which I have already done several times. However, there are many other fascinating places I would have liked to tour on this street, too, such as the mansion in the photograph on the left. You would think that since this was Doors Open Denver Weekend, all the neighbors in the area, in a spirit of bonhomie, would indeed open their doors, too, and give passersby a tour of their mansions - but this did not happen.  I suppose I could have knocked on a few doors to see if I could have a look around, but since I had other things to do later in the day, decided to avoid activities that might lead to an arrest.  Perhaps next year.