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| William A. Lang, Architect |
For a brief moment in time, Colorado enjoyed
an architectural flowering in a style approaching that of the
Catalonian master, Gaudí. Working in the same era, William
A. Lang bestowed upon Denver and other Colorado towns hundreds
of houses and business structures representing an apex of architectural
exploration and innovation.
Lang, a self taught architect, began
designing buildings in Denver in 1885, and rode the dizzying
silver boom to its bitter end in 1893. Newly wealthy miners
wanted houses and offices that reflected their individuality,
style, and sometimes flamboyance. In the materials of the day,
carved stone and wood, Lang's ideas leapt beyond traditional
forms and ventured into florid conglomerates of Queen Anne, Romanesque,
and Gothic styles. His buildings provided perfect venues for
the interiors of the day.
The Silver Crash of 1893 ended the
building craze, along with the careers of Denver's star architects.
Broken by the ruin of his career, William Lang idled until
1897 when he left his brother's home, and "not knowing where he was going, he wandered as
far as Morris, Illinois, where he was arrested as a tramp and
a vagrant." * Soon after, he was hit and killed by a train
in Marseilles, Illinois, and buried there in a humble grave.
Denver's
Baker Historic District is home to many of the remaining
Lang houses, including the famous Bailey Mansion. Others include
the Molly Brown House at 1340 Pennsylvania, and the Ghost Building
at 18th and Stout.
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