Mary Colter, Architect of the Southwest
That remarkable woman, Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, the “Architect of the Southwest”, created an array of buildings and interiors in New Mexico and Arizona so convincingly antique, so beautifully drawn from the region’s Indian and Spanish heritage, that many visitors do not realize they were all constructed in the early 20th Century. If you have been to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, you have no doubt seen at least a few of her works: Hermit’s Rest, Lookout Studio, Bright Angel Lodge, Hopi House, or her splendid Desert Watchtower. Her La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona is a well-loved stop along the Santa Fe Railway.
Mary Colter retired from the Fred Harvey Company in 1948, after an association with the company since 1902, choosing a residence in Santa Fe not far from the Plaza. But almost immediately her old employer called her out of retirement for one last project.
Mary Colter had spent the years from 1926 to 1929 driving the interior design of La Fonda, Santa Fe’s oldest and most famous hotel. Now, in 1948, the Harvey company offered her one last commission: the expansion of the La Cantina cocktail lounge into a new room called “La Cantinita”. Colter chose an old Mexican kitchen theme for this final project.
With her usual attention to detail, and her comprehensive knowledge of Southwestern styles, Colter recreated a rustic kitchen setting of old brick, cozy fireplace and simulated ovens, copper kettles taken from old Harvey Houses, and a variety of other antiques hung from the walls. But my favorite has to be the Mexican chandeliers. Look carefully: the candles on the metal racks are already in candlestick holders. In earlier times such a chandelier would be lowered at bedtime so every guest could take a candle off to their bedroom.
La Cantinita opened in the summer of 1949. Today this room has been repurposed into a pleasant cafe called the French Pastry Shop, and you are more than welcome to stroll through, admire the decor, and maybe stop for a coffee and a Torte Milanese.
If you are interested in this and other aspects of Santa Fe Style, consider taking one of Discovery Walking Tour’s Historical Architecture and Interior Design Tours. These two to three hour walks will give you an in-depth history of the architecture and design styles unique to Santa Fe, throughout the historic district. The walks include time spent exploring the lobby of La Fonda.
Or you might enjoy a docent led tour focused entirely on the Art and History of La Fonda, offered by the hotel itself. Here’s a link: https://www.lafondasantafe.com/about/docent-tours