Arizona Oddities

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Your Guides
  • Departments
    • Art
    • Dose of History
    • Culture
    • Natural Surroundings
    • Odd Observations
    • Weather Talk
    • Food & Dining
    • Small Town Scene
    • Recreation
    • Only in Arizona
  • Get the Books
  • Contact Us

logo

Arizona Oddities

  • Home
  • Your Guides
  • Departments
    • Art
    • Dose of History
    • Culture
    • Natural Surroundings
    • Odd Observations
    • Weather Talk
    • Food & Dining
    • Small Town Scene
    • Recreation
    • Only in Arizona
  • Get the Books
  • Contact Us
CultureDose of History
Home›Culture›5 Interesting Facts About Architect Mary Colter

5 Interesting Facts About Architect Mary Colter

By Taylor Haynes
May 29, 2019
3471
0
Mary Colter

Mary Colter (right) showing blueprint to Mrs. Ickes (wife of the Secretary of the Interior), circa 1935. NPS.

If you’ve visited the Grand Canyon, chances are you’ve seen some of Mary Colter’s work first-hand. She contributed to many of the buildings dotting the national park, including The Desert View Watchtower (1932) and Hopi House (1905). She considered the La Posada hotel in nearby Winslow, Ariz., her masterpiece.  

 Mary Colter is a household name among architects and history junkies across the southwest — but what else should we know about this trailblazing, innovative 20th century woman? 

#1 – She lived all over the U.S. as a child. 

Colter was born on April 4th, 1869 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Irish immigrants William and Rebecca. The family moved often during Colter’s childhood, including to Texas and Colorado before settling in St. Paul, Minnesota when Colter was 11 years old. It is during this formational time that Colter was first exposed to indigenous American artworks, specifically brightly colored Sioux sketches. 

#2 – Colter attended one of the first art schools in the West.  

The California School of Design opened in 1874, providing a comprehensive art education to students that included drawing, painting and apprenticeships. Colter was exposed to the ambitious architects of San Francisco, whose lively discussion likely influenced her to pursue architecture as a career.

#3 – She met Minnie Harvey Huckel (Fred’s daughter) in St. Paul.

One of Colter’s contemporaries in St. Paul was Minnie Harvey Huckel, as the two were both members of the New Century Club, a women’s civic group. Huckel knew of Colter’s affinity for Native American art and may have recommended her for the Hotel Alvarado Indian Building in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Colter took the job in 1902 — and it was the first of many now-famous projects she would complete with the Fred Harvey Company, including those at the Grand Canyon. 

#4 – She had an impressive eye for detail — and was known as a stubborn perfectionist. 

In all of Colter’s work, there’s an apparent understanding of the geographical area’s history, landscape, inhabitants and culture. For example, at her famed Hopi House, she insisted on employing local indigenous builders, used local materials when possible and attempted to create a near-accurate representation of an ancient Native American structure. Other projects exhibited her dedication to detail; Lookout Studio was constructed from Kaibab limestone, mimicking the stratification of the surrounding geologic features. 

#5 – As a woman in a male-dominated field, Colter was well ahead of her time.  

Frank Waters, a well-known historian, described Colter as “an incomprehensible woman in pants,” sketching and riding horseback. Colter shattered stereotypes about what a woman could pursue in the early 20th century — and her sheer willpower left an indelible impact on the region. Despite being referred to as a mere “decorator” by her colleagues at the time, she would undoubtedly retain the title of architect today.

(Visited 734 times, 1 visits today)

Related Posts:

  1. Go for the Story, Stay for the Food: La Posada is a Must-See Along Rt. 66
  2. 5 Facts About the Southwest’s Strangest, Smelliest Inhabitant – The Javelina
  3. Did You Know? Quirky Facts from AZ Records and Rankings
  4. The Bear Facts About Christopher Creek
  5. Did You Know? Quirky Arizona Facts from Marshall Trimble
Tagsarchitecturefredharveygrandcanyonhopihouselaposadatourism

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Arizona Oddities Archive

Most Popular Posts

  • How to Keep Scorpions Away from Your Home
  • How to Keep Javelinas Away from Your Yard
  • What’s With All the Backyard Concrete-Block Fences…
  • Did You Know it’s Against the Law to Grow…
  • Can You Get a Sunburn Under Water?

This Week Past Years

2019

  • McDonald’s Arches Take a Different Hue in Sedona

2018

  • Get Your Arizona Wine Fix at Cornville Wineries

2017

  • Shake, Rattle & Roll: Rattlesnake Avoidance Training

2015

  • The Legend of Apache Cave
  • No Lettuce Cooking at Yuma Lettuce Days

2014

  • Featured Artist: Marty Le Messurier

2013

  • The Story of J Goldwater & Bros: Commerce on the Colorado River

2012

  • Besh-Ba-Gowah: The Non-Ruin Ruins in Globe
  • Ewing Young: The Southwest’s Premier Mountain Man

2011

  • The Wounded Goddess Atop the State Capitol Dome

2010

  • Do Your Feet Get Bigger When You Move to the Desert?
  • Know the Origin of the Highway 89 Screamers?
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Find a Famous Writer and Explorer's Mountain Retreat in Greer

    Find a Famous Writer and Explorer’s Historic Mountain Retreat in Greer

    By Taylor Haynes
    July 31, 2020
  • thousands of Mexican free tail bats make Phoenix tunnel their summer home

    Thousands of Mexican Free-Tail Bats Make Phoenix Tunnel Their Summer Home

    By Taylor Haynes
    July 17, 2020
  • How to Keep Scorpions Away from Your Home

    By Andrea Aker
    January 3, 2011
  • Javelina

    How to Keep Javelinas Away from Your Yard

    By Andrea Aker
    November 23, 2011
  • Phil Motta
    on
    August 27, 2021

    Why Does Downtown Phoenix Seem to Have Two Downtowns?

    I know this post ...
  • Carol
    on
    October 17, 2020

    The Tucson Artifacts are the Southwest’s Greatest Hoax

    lol ... these "clues" ...

Follow us

© Copyright 2009 – 2023 Aker Ink, LLC :: Arizona Oddities is published by Aker Ink.