[1] After working as an advertising salesman, traveling throughout New York City, he became a journalist for The Sun, writing about the city's history as well as its buildings.
Brown also wrote several books about New York's history,[2] and was the editor of Valentine's Manual.
Brown was first married to Kate Ross (died March 1918).
They had four sons and two daughters, including Kay B. Barrett.
He married second Clara Brown Lyman on February 5, 1919; they resided at the New York Biltmore Hotel.