Hermit's Rest
Encyclopedia
Hermit's Rest is a structure built in 1914 at the western end of Hermit Road at the south rim of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...

 in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The Hermit Trail
Hermit Trail
The Hermit Trail is a hiking trail in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. This trail provides access to a historic area of Grand Canyon and offers a more challenging route to the Colorado River for more experienced canyon hikers....

, a hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

 trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...

 that extends to the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...

, begins about ¼ mile beyond the shuttle bus stop at Hermit's Rest. Hermit's Rest also represents the western terminus of the Rim Trail
Rim Trail
The Rim Trail is a hiking trail located on the North/South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona.-External links:*...

. The main structure of Hermit's Rest was designed by architect Mary Colter
Mary Colter
Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter was an American architect and designer. As a child, Mary Colter traveled with her family through frontier Minnesota, Colorado and Texas in the years after the American Civil War. After her father died in 1886, Colter attended the California School of Design in San...

. Hermit's Rest is the westernmost point on the canyon's south rim that is accessible by paved road. It was built as a rest area for tourists on coaches operated by the Fred Harvey Company
Fred Harvey Company
The origin of the Fred Harvey Company can be traced to the 1875 opening of two railroad eating houses located at Wallace, Kansas and Hugo, Colorado on the Kansas Pacific Railway. These cafés were opened by Fred Harvey, then a freight agent for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad...

 on the way to the now-vanished Hermit Camp. The building was designed to appear to be a natural stone formation, closely tied to the land. Colter selected furnishings that are included in the National Historic Landmark designation.

Hermit's Rest is one of four Mary Jane Colter Buildings
Mary Jane Colter Buildings
The Mary Jane Colter Buildings are four structures at Grand Canyon National Park designed by Mary Colter:* Hermit's Rest* Desert View Watchtower* Lookout Studio, also known as The Lookout* Hopi House...

 that, as a set, were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 and declared to be a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

 in 1987. All were designed by Colter and were built for the Fred Harvey Company, which was owned by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...

, parent of the Grand Canyon Railway
Grand Canyon Railway
The Grand Canyon Railway , is a passenger railroad which operates between Williams, Arizona, and Grand Canyon National Park South Rim.-Santa Fe Ownership:...

.

Description

Hermit's Rest stands a few feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon, partly buried in an earth mound. The exposed portions of the structure are designed to look like a natural rock formation, apart from the prominent rubblestone chimney. The structure is approached by a path that passes (and originally ran through) a stone arch decorated with a broken bell that Colter salvaged from a Spanish mission in New Mexico. A small porch supported by peeled log posts stands to one side of the outside observation area that overlooks the canyon rim. The low porch roof extends into the interior, which opens up to a double-height space. Opposite the entry, the south wall houses a semi-circular alcove with a fireplace and a raised floor. A snack bar opens on the west side of the space, and the"rug room," where native crafts were sold, is on the east side with its own fireplace. The interior furnishings throughout were chosen by Colter and are part of the historic designation. The overall impression imparted by Colter's design is one of antiquity. Colter, when kidded by kidded by AT&SF executives about the dark, antique-looking interior, retorted "you can't imagine what it cost to make it look this old."

Historic designation

Hopi House is a component of the multi-site Mary Jane Colter Buildings National Historic Landmark
Mary Jane Colter Buildings
The Mary Jane Colter Buildings are four structures at Grand Canyon National Park designed by Mary Colter:* Hermit's Rest* Desert View Watchtower* Lookout Studio, also known as The Lookout* Hopi House...

, It was incorporated into the National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

 group on May 28, 1987.

See also


External links

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