If you’ve been to the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park, you have probably heard of, or at least recognize, the name Mary Colter. Born in 1869, she was one of very few female architects, not just in the company she worked for, but in the entire country. She is known for her love of Native American art and she made it her mission to incorporate it and the local culture into all of her designs.

When Mary was 11 years old her family settled in St Paul, Minnesota. At the time, this part of the country was considered the Northwest. Here she was introduced to the Sioux people. She acquired some Sioux art from a friend which spurred her lifelong interest in Native American culture and art. When a smallpox epidemic tore through the town, Mary’s mother told her to burn anything from the Native Americans fearing that they would contract the disease. Mary didn’t give up her Sioux drawings and hid them instead. She kept those drawings for her whole life after that. She later attended art school in San Francisco and then moved back to St Paul and became an art teacher.

She began her career at the Fred Harvey Company when she did a summer job for them decorating the Indian Building at the Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque. She fell in love with the southwest and the Native American art she discovered there. She later got hired on at the company and transitioned from interior designer into lead architect over her impressive 38 years there. The Fred Harvey Company was famous for building fine restaurants and hotels along the railroads of the West. Harvey started his grand endeavor after finding disappointing food and lodging along the young continental railroads. So he teamed up with the Santa Fe Railroad to bring in fresh food and to build luxurious hotels at stops along the route.

Mary decorated and arranged many shops at the hotels that sold Native American goods and art. She showcased the art and rugs by laying them out like they would be in a home. She wanted to make the shops feel cozy and inviting, a place where you could relax and mingle with the artists and ask them questions. She also encouraged guests to pick up and touch the artwork which was revolutionary at the time and made her quite popular.

The Hopi House in Grand Canyon National Park was her first commissioned architectural work built in 1905. She designed it to look like a pueblo built by the Hopi people. She painstakingly oversaw every detail to make sure that the building sufficiently represented the Hopi culture. She continued her quest for coziness by including two fireplaces on the main floor. The Native American artists were housed in the second level of the building while they made their art. You can still find gorgeous displays of artwork there today.

Her other works at Grand Canyon include the Lookout Studio and Hermit’s Rest, both designed to blend into the fantastic scenery and built of stone straight from the canyon. The Lookout Studio was built to compete with the nearby Kolb photography studio run by the famous Kolb brothers. Hermit’s Rest was built several miles down the rim from the Village as a place of rest after a long day’s journey. It was named for a reclusive mountain man who lived in the area and helped to build the structure.

Mary meticulously planned the placement of each stone, not to look perfect, but rather to give it a haphazard, organic look. If it looked too planned or perfect, she would have the workers remove the section and start again. Both Lookout Studio and Hermit’s Rest showcase Mary’s strong belief in blending her work into the beauty of a place rather than compete with it. Mary also designed cabins at Phantom Ranch down in the cabin on the Bright Angel Trail, as well as the charming cabins at Bright Angel Lodge.

Mary’s masterpiece at the Grand Canyon, though, was her last commissioned work there, the Desert View Tower. Built in 1932, the tower was inspired by similar, although much smaller, towers she saw at ancient pueblos at Mesa Verde. This was not a direct replica like the Hopi House, but rather a celebration of many southwest Native American cultures. Mary included little touches like ornamental rocks modeled after Choco Canyon and a rock stacking style from Wupatki. The interior opens up into a kiva-like round room with, of course, a cozy fireplace. The interior of the tower portion is covered in replicas of now destroyed petroglyphs and large colorful paintings of Hopi legend and symbolism. Mary spent six months researching and planning the artwork and even created a handwritten guide to the paintings. The tower beautifully represents Mary’s fascination and respect for the Native American cultures and displays her impressive attention to detail while maintaining an effortless air about it.

 

Mary Colter: Architect of the Southwest by Arnold Berke

Between her time working at the Grand Canyon, Mary designed some gorgeous mission style hotels in New Mexico and Arizona that are depicted in this book along with many wonderful photos of Mary herself, her other masterful designs, and her inspirations. The book captures the spirit of the western romanticism that took over the country in the heyday of continental train tourism in the early 20th century. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to learn more about this time or is intrigued by this wonderful trailblazer.