Brinley House
526 N Cascade Avenue
Built 1896
Architect Unknown
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About
The Brinley house is a two-story wood frame structure consisting of two joined buildings. The entire footprint is 2,556 square feet with a finished basement. The house is clad in cut wood shingles with deep eaves supported by wood rafters with rounded ends. The front door faces east and is between two stone columns. Windows are commonly double-hung with 6 light over 1 light glass panes. A brick chimney sits at the southeast elevation of the rectangular wing. The foundation is stone. There is a two-story, double-gabled 4-car garage with double doors displaying a single row of windows. The base is stone, and the upper structure is clad in wood shingles.
The dwelling is on an irregular parcel of 30,608 square feet which is Lot 2, Daniel Klieber Subdivision No 2.
Timeline
1896
The first structure on the property is built.
1906
Ellen T. Brinley is shown as the first occupant; characterized as a pioneer, philanthropist, and social worker, Ms. Brinley lived in the house until 1931.
1907
The oldest is shown in the 1907 Sanborn Fire Insurance Rate Maps as a two-story frame dwelling with multiple first and second-floor porches that faced east with an address of 518 Beverly Place.
1931
Upon Ellen T. Brinley’s death, her obituary was published in the Gazette Telegraph on April 22, 1931. The article reads:
Ellen T. Brinley, Pioneer Resident, Dies of Pneumonia
Was Active for Years in Social, Charitable and Religious Work
Miss Ellen Terry Brinley, social worker and philanthropist, and a resident of the city for almost half a century, died yesterday afternoon at her residence 14 Beverly Place, from pneumonia. She was a daughter of George Brinley and Frances Ellen Berry Brinley, and was born in Hartford Conn, January 7, 1856. Miss Brinley came to Colorado Springs in the early eighties with her brother-in-law and sister, Dr. and Mrs. B.F.D. Adams, with whom she made her home until Mrs. Adams’ death.
In 1910, she built her Beverly place home, in which she lived with her niece, Miss Katherine F. Adams, who survives.
For many years Miss Brinley took a prominent part in the social charitable and religious life of Colorado Springs. She was always an active member of the Episcopal church, was influential in founding the parish of St. Stephens, and later was deeply interested in the union of St. Stephens and Grace churches.
For more than 30 years she was devoted to the work and interests of the Young Women’s Christian Association, first as a member of its board of directors and later as its president. She occupied the office of president for 13 years, resigning in December 1922, because of ill health. It was due largely to her efforts that the present home of the Y.W.C.A. on Kiowa street was built.
Her sound judgment and ready sympathy made her invaluable as a director of the Associated Charities, the Colorado Springs public library, Coburn Library Book club and to the work of the Women’s Educational society of Colorado college and the Humane society of El Paso county.
In the Influenza epidemics of 1918 and 1919 it was due principally to Miss Brinley’s efforts that the Y.W.C.A. building was devoted, free of charge, to use as an emergency hospital, a measure which provided care and comfort for hundreds of Colorado Springs residents.
1960
The second building that appears in the Sanborn map updated to 1960 shows a two-story rectangular wing used as a dwelling set at a 45-degree angle without porches.
Additional Resources
- 526 N Cascade Ave Research – a collection of documents compiled during the Historic Uptown Neighborhood’s historic preservation efforts.
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