Frank E. Edbrooke
Frank Edbrooke shaped the architectural development of downtown Denver in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He designed notable Denver buildings such as the Brown Palace Hotel, Oxford Hotel, Loretto Heights Academy, Temple Emanuel, Denver Dry Goods Company building, and the state capitol. He also designed schools and churches, as well as numerous residential works. His final building was the Colorado State Museum.
Edbrooke's exposure to architecture began when his English-born father rebuilt many of the structures after the infamous 1871 Chicago fire. After seven years of work in Chicago, Edbrooke designed depots and hotels for the Union Pacific Railroad. He came to Denver in 1879 to supervise the construction of the Tabor Block at 16th and Larimer Streets and the Tabor Grand Opera House at 16th and Curtis Streets for his architect brother, Willoughby.
Frank’s moral compass drove his personal and professional life. He wrote in his 1919 autobiography, “My guiding star through life has been truth and honesty in all things.” He participated in several civic organizations, such as the Denver Club and the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, for which he was a founding member. He left a philanthropic legacy by including several charities in his will, including the Ladies Relief Society of Denver, Colorado Masons Benevolent Fund Association, Denver Orphans Home Association, Denver Florence Crittendon Home, Sunshine Rescue Mission, Brotherly Relief Colony, Woman’s Club of Denver, Trinity United Methodist Church, and the Colorado Prison Association.
His final resting place is in Denver’s Fairmount Cemetery in a mausoleum he designed for himself.
Edbrooke's exposure to architecture began when his English-born father rebuilt many of the structures after the infamous 1871 Chicago fire. After seven years of work in Chicago, Edbrooke designed depots and hotels for the Union Pacific Railroad. He came to Denver in 1879 to supervise the construction of the Tabor Block at 16th and Larimer Streets and the Tabor Grand Opera House at 16th and Curtis Streets for his architect brother, Willoughby.
Frank’s moral compass drove his personal and professional life. He wrote in his 1919 autobiography, “My guiding star through life has been truth and honesty in all things.” He participated in several civic organizations, such as the Denver Club and the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, for which he was a founding member. He left a philanthropic legacy by including several charities in his will, including the Ladies Relief Society of Denver, Colorado Masons Benevolent Fund Association, Denver Orphans Home Association, Denver Florence Crittendon Home, Sunshine Rescue Mission, Brotherly Relief Colony, Woman’s Club of Denver, Trinity United Methodist Church, and the Colorado Prison Association.
His final resting place is in Denver’s Fairmount Cemetery in a mausoleum he designed for himself.