Phipps Family History: The Phipps of Denver

Occasionally visitors to Westbury House ask docents and staff, “I’m from Colorado—are these Phipps related to the Phipps from Denver?” The answer to the question is yes, indeed.

In the early 20th century, Lawrence Cowle Phipps (1862-1958), nephew of Henry Phipps, Jr. and first cousin to Jay Phipps, decided to relocate his permanent residence from Pittsburgh to Denver, where he maintained a summer residence. Soon thereafter Lawrence became a leading member in Denver’s business sector—particularly the energy field—as well as the political, and social communities. In 1918 he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate and represented Colorado for two terms—a significant political legacy was his support for the Hoover Dam.

Following in the footsteps of the philanthropic activities of his business mentors, Andrew Carnegie and Henry Phipps, Lawrence also became a leader in Denver’s charitable endeavors. In 1904 he built the Agnes Memorial Sanatorium in Denver—a hospital and rehabilitation center for tuberculosis patients—as a memorial to his mother Agnes who died of the disease. Lawrence also contributed significantly to Denver’s Red Cross operations during World War I, and was a leading contributor to the Colorado Museum of Natural History, presently the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Phipps was the youngest of four children of the methodist minister William Henry Phipps and his wife Agnes McCall. Lawrence rose through the ranks of Carnegie Steel starting at age 16, to eventually become its Vice-President. After the sale of Carnegie Steel in 1901, Lawrence, like his uncle Henry, became enormously wealthy, as he was one of the leading shareholders of Carnegie Steel. It is interesting that most of his biographies during his life—including those during his political campaign—make note of his humble beginnings at Carnegie Steel as an office clerk in a steel mill but omit mention of the influence in his career by his uncle Henry, who along with Andrew and Thomas Carnegie, founded the various iron and steel operations that employed Lawrence.

Another interesting item from Lawrence’s life was his estrangement and eventual divorce from his second wife, Genevieve. His first wife Ibraella, with whom he had two children, died of a lung illness after six years of marriage. In 1897 he married Genevieve Chandler, daughter of a prominent Pittsburgh family. In 1904 newspapers across the U.S. reported on his “kidnapping” of his two children who were residing in a New York City hotel with their mother. Newspapers then reported about attempts of reconciliation mediated through the efforts of Lawrence’s “benefactor” Henry Phipps, Sr.

Having eventually divorced Genevieve, Lawrence married Margaret Rogers, daughter of a prominent lawyer and former mayor of Denver. Margaret and Lawrence had two children. In the early 1930s, in order to provide employment during the depression, according to family memoirs, Lawrence and Margaret collaborated on the design of a grand home in south Denver and commissioned the architects Fisher and Fisher, along with Charles Platt. The home, which exists to this day was called Belcaro, which loosely translated from Italian means beautiful dear one. The landscape and gardens were designed by Annette Hoyt Flanders, who also designed several gardens in the New York area including the Vincent Astor estate Clovery Manor located in Sands Point.

In the 1960s, Belcaro was donated by the family to the University of Denver who used the property as an events and conference center. In 2010, the University sold the estate for use as a private residence. Phipps also had a summer residence in the Los Angeles Area, which was later owned by comedian Phyliss Diller.

Lawrence’s children also played prominent roles in Denver’s business and not-for-profit industries—co-owning the Denver Broncos as well as leading the Denver Museum of Science and Nature from the 1960s through 1981.

~Paul Hunchak, Director of Public Programs and Visitor Services

Gallery Image Captions (from left to right):

1. Belcaro. 1949, Denver Public Library 

2. Section of the Annette Hoyt-Flanders designed gardens for Belcaro. 1937 Lantern Slide, Denver Public Library 

3. Grandview, Lawrence C Phipps’ Pittsburgh residence built in 1902. Historic Pittsburgh 

4. Phipps Auditorium, Denver Museum of Natural History. c. 1945-1950, Denver Public Library