The Colton House, also known as Coyote Range and listed under that name on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, was built in 1928. A portion of its property, including six

contributing buildings In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

built during 1906-1934, was NRHP-listed in 1984. It is a cultural center of the Museum of Northern Arizona. It was home of Dr. Harold S. Colton (1881-1970), an archeologist who taught at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

from 1909 until he retired in 1926, and Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton (1889-1971). The couple acquired in what is now termed Coyote Springs, and they co-founded the Museum of Northern Arizona, which is located adjacent (or nearly adjacent) to the current Colton House property. Dr. Colton served as its Director until 1958, and continued as president of MNA's board of directors until his death in 1970. The Colton's 100 acres, just out of Flagstaff, included "Malpais Manor", which was a large one-story Craftsman bungalow. The property also included a large barn and some other buildings, and the Coltons designed and built more, including: the Annex, the Studio, the Pack Rat, and the Blue Jay House. These were largely built by Hopi laborers who lived on the site. The Malpais Manor home was destroyed in a fire in 1928. The "new" house which replaced it in 1929 was designed by Philadelphia architect Ralph A. Colton, Harold's brother, and was built by contractor Unkefer Bros. of Pittsburg. It is also a Craftsman bungalow. It is Spanish Colonial Revival in style. The listed complex's buildings were constructed between 1906 and 1934, built primarily of local "malpais rock" (

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

). With Music programs at the Colton House have included a music residency program, and there is at least one album title ("Colton House Sessions") referencing it. Harold Colter was a zoologist, and to some extent an archeologist also, and Marary-Russell Ferrell Colton was an artist.

Additional development

The first new home of the Coyote Springs was built in 1998. By 2000, it was considered "Flagstaff's premier community", with each property sitting on one to five acres, and all kept in a similar style to the

Colton House The Colton House, also known as Coyote Range and listed under that name on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1928. A portion of its property, including six contributing buildings built during 1906-1934, was NRHP-listed in 19 ...

, the original home on the property which was restored and also sits on the property. The Colton House serves as "a residential facility for guests of the museum; an intimate retreat center ... and a location for private receptions."

References

Flagstaff, Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Coconino County, Arizona Buildings and structures completed in 1906 Museums in Arizona {{Arizona-NRHP-stub