Built to serve as a public school and town meeting hall, Colton Hall now offers visitors a re-creation of the meeting room where California's first Constitution was drafted in October 1849 and exhibits on early Monterey. Colton Hall is a State Historic Landmark and a major site in the Old Town Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in Monterey, once the capital of Alta California.
Bithplace of the State of California. Site of the 1849 Constitutional Convention to establish constitution, debated and written in Engliah and Spanish, the constitution established rights for women, California as a free state, set state boundaries, and more. Also served as a school and courthouse, and is the oldest public building in continous use in California.
Furnishings; art; materials associated with constitutional convention, school, and courts.
Books and archival collections: photographs, documents, ledgers, memorabila associated with constitution, courts, and schools.
Class and organization tours and presentations
Colton Hall Museum and Cultural Arts Commission: Museums and Cultural Arts Division, City of Montdrey
Free. Donations Accepted.