DENVER—After nearly 40 years, the well-known Molly Brown House, here, has decided to replace its worn Karastan 717 Multicolor Panel Kirman carpet— originally installed in 1971—with…the exact same thing. Kelly Rasmussen said the decision was easy based on two criteria: the Kirman’s popular design and incredible durability.

“With more than one million visitors since the early ’70s, this carpet has held up remarkably well,” she explained. “We feel it’s a high-quality broadloom and that, with all the colors in the carpet, it brings a special appearance to the house. People have come to associate that carpet with the house.”

Originally home to Titanic survivor Margaret Tobin Brown—the “Unsinkable Molly Brown”—the house went through several incarnations prior to Historic Denver’s preservation of the structure as a museum in 1971. Since then, the multicolored Panel Kirman in the Molly Brown House has seen busloads of visitors at special events such as monthly teas; a speakeasy party and the annual Victorian Horrors, where actors depicting authors of the time period read scary Halloween stories.

Undertaking the major redo was museum neighbor Howard Lorton Galleries, which has a long history of community involvement and was more than happy to help. “We wanted to be involved in this project because it was an opportunity to step up and help a friend in difficult times,” said Bill Cook president of Howard Lorton, who was not surprised the museum chose the multicolor Panel Kirman again. “The success of the 717 has been phenomenal,” he said. “How can you not find the color you want in that pattern?”

Connie Berry, director of marketing at Karastan, agreed, “The 717 Multicolor Panel Kirman has been popular since its introduction in 1938. It demonstrates the beauty, elegance and durability of Karastan’s carpets,” she said. “We are honored to be part of the Molly Brown House and happy that Karastan can continue to be a part of the remarkable Molly Brown story.”