Colton Hall Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Colton Hall
Colton Hall from the east-southeast
Location	Monterey, California
Built	1847–1849
Architect	Walter Colton

California Historical Landmark
Reference no.	126

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Colton Hall is a historic government building and museum. You can find it in Monterey, California, in the United States. It was built between 1847 and 1849 by Walter Colton. He came to Monterey as a chaplain and later became Monterey's first mayor during the American period.

Colton Hall first had rooms downstairs for a public school. The upstairs area was a large hall for public meetings. This building became very famous because it hosted California's first constitutional convention in 1849.

Building a Landmark: Colton Hall's Story
California's First Constitution
Colton Hall as a School
Colton Hall Today
Interior Views
Exterior Views
See also

Building a Landmark: Colton Hall's Story

When Walter Colton became the elected mayor, he decided to build a school in Monterey. He wanted it to look like the buildings he knew from places like Philadelphia. This style is called Greek Revival. He wrote in his diary about how it was built from local white stone. He said the lower rooms were for schools. The large hall upstairs was for public gatherings.

Colton mentioned that the building was made possible by careful planning. He used money from selling town lots and funds from local businesses. He also used community labor to help construct it. He was very determined to finish the project. When it was completed on March 8, 1849, it was the biggest public building in California. Citizens later named the building "Colton Hall" in his honor.

Colton Hall in 1915, looking much like it does today.

The Native Sons of the Golden West helped a lot in 1903. They secured money to make important repairs to Colton Hall. The building was then officially recognized as a California Historical Landmark in 1934.

A smaller building made of solid granite is attached to the east side of Colton Hall. This building was the city jail until 1956. Today, you can see displays inside that show what the jail might have looked like.

In October 2018, the City of Monterey finished a big renovation. This project improved the back stairway, deck, and courtyard. The building also became easier for everyone to visit. This was done by adding a chair lift and an accessible restroom.

California's First Constitution

California's military governor decided to hold a special meeting. This meeting, called a constitutional convention, took place in Colton Hall. Forty-eight delegates (representatives) from ten different areas met upstairs. They met from September 1 to October 15, 1849. Their goal was to discuss and write California's very first state constitution.

The stairway they used to reach the convention hall was at the back of the building. The California Constitution was approved on October 13, 1849. People voted on it in November of that year. It was then sent to Congress in January 1850. San Jose was chosen as the first capital city for California's new government.

Colton Hall as a School

Colton Hall was originally built to be a school for children in Monterey. In 1873, it also became the district school office. It served as a grade school for many years. In 1897, the school moved to a larger building nearby. The Monterey Weekly Herald newspaper wrote in 1875, "Surely the children of Monterey cannot fail to learn within such a building." They felt the building itself inspired learning and patriotism.

Colton Hall Today

Colton Hall is still a very important public building in Monterey County. It has been used continuously for many years. Over time, it has housed Monterey's City Hall, a public school, the county court house, and the city police headquarters.

The second floor of Colton Hall is now a museum. This museum was opened in 1949. You can visit it for free from 10 AM to 4 PM, Thursdays through Sundays. A docent (a trained guide) is often available to give information and tours. The assembly hall on the second floor has been restored. It looks just like it did when the 48 delegates met there to write the first Constitution.

Interior Views

This is the inside room where the discussions and signing happened.
Colton Hall seating area with a fireplace.
Papers representing notes and letters that would have been used during discussions.
A desk in the corner of the historic hall.
A long view of the main room, showing its size.