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Home/Hikers Column/Happy Birthday, Mary Colter!

Happy Birthday, Mary Colter!

Hopi House | NPS Photo
Hopi House | NPS Photo

While we celebrate the centennial year of Grand Canyon becoming a national park, I’d like to also remind everyone that it is the 150th anniversary of Mary Colter’s birth. Who is Mary Colter you ask?

Those who have visited Grand Canyon’s South Rim or hiked to Phantom Ranch will recognize her work, even if they’ve never heard her name before. Mary Colter was the architect of some of Grand Canyon’s most iconic, interesting and beautiful buildings.

Working for the Fred Harvey Company, Ms. Colter’s first project at Grand Canyon was the Hopi House in 1905. Imagine that! A woman architect in the Wild West designing a fascinating structure styled after ancient Hopi Indian dwellings found in northern Arizona.

The Hopi House would be the first of six major buildings she designed for the Fred Harvey Company at Grand Canyon, all of which are still standing within the park.

Mary Colter, age 50 | NPS Photo
Mary Colter, age 50 | NPS Photo

Ms. Colter’s designs would have a major impact not only Grand Canyon’s designs but on architecture within western national parks. The National Park Service was very pleased with her organic designs and how well they fit within their natural settings.

Her buidings include:

  • 1905: Hopi House, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
  • 1914: Hermits Rest, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
  • 1914: Lookout Studio, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
  • 1922: Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
  • 1923: El Navajo Hotel, Gallup, NM (demolished in 1957)
  • 1930: La Posada Hotel, Winslow, AZ (restored and an amazing place to stay!)
  • 1932: Desert View Watchtower, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
  • 1935: Bright Angel Lodge, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Mary Colter was a fascinating woman! She was an amazing and meticulous interior designer as well as an architect. I cannot do her justice in this short post, but if you are at all interested in human history, design, or architecture, I highly recommend you head to your library or follow the resources below to find out more.

More resources:

  • https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/photosmultimedia/colter_index.htm
  • http://www.startribune.com/st-paul-architect-mary-colter-ahead-of-her-time/513293032/
  • http://www.elpalacio.org/2015/09/searching-for-mary-colter/

Some recommended products below may include affiliate links for which I may receive a commission if purchased when clicking through. Please note that I only recommend products that I feel are worthy, and you will not pay any extra when purchasing through these links. Click here to read the full disclosure statement.

Recommended Reading

Sale
Mary Colter: Architect of the Southwest
Mary Colter: Architect of the Southwest
  • Berke, Arnold (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 320 Pages - 01/13/2003 (Publication Date) - Princeton Architectural Press (Publisher)
$22.14
Buy on Amazon Price incl. tax, excl. shipping
Mary Colter: Builder Upon the Red Earth (Grand Canyon Association)
Mary Colter: Builder Upon the Red Earth (Grand Canyon Association)
  • Grattan, Virginia L. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 132 Pages - 03/13/2007 (Publication Date) - Grand Canyon Association (Publisher)
$19.69
Buy on Amazon Price incl. tax, excl. shipping
Sale
Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West--One Meal at a...
Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West--One Meal at a...
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Fried, Stephen (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 544 Pages - 05/03/2011 (Publication Date) - Bantam (Publisher)
$15.96
Buy on Amazon Price incl. tax, excl. shipping
Sale
Grand Canyon Women: Lives Shaped by Landscape
Grand Canyon Women: Lives Shaped by Landscape
  • Betty Leavengood (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 242 Pages - 02/26/2014 (Publication Date) - Grand Canyon Conservancy (Publisher)
$13.99
Buy on Amazon Price incl. tax, excl. shipping

Last update on 2022-05-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Published on: August 1, 2019

Categories: Hikers ColumnTags: Bright Angel Lodge, Desert View Watchtower, Fred Harvey Company, Hermit's Rest, Hopi House, La Posada Hotel, Lookout Studio, Mary Colter, Phantom Ranch

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