Colton Hall Museum – HauntedHouses.com

Paranormal Overview

• Monterey Colton Hall Bullet Points

• Justice wasn’t always the result and lives ended in a painful way here.

The Greek Rival Style Colton Hall and Museum is still as stunning as it was in 1849, thanks to all the hard work of authorities who have maintained and restored it over the years.here on the second floor that offers displays of early California history, under the juresdiction of The historical California Landmarks Organization.

The most important public office building in Monterey County still in continuous use, Colton Hall has long had the title of being the finest public office building in Monterey County that is still in continuous use….

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Colton Hall Museum – HauntedHouses.com

ADDRESS:

City of Monterey
Museum and Cultural Arts Division
570 Pacific Street
Monterey, California

Website * (831) 646-5640

MAP

LOCATION:

Colton Hall Museum is found on Pacific Street, between Madison and Jefferson streets in the historic section of Monterey.

DESCRIPTION

While the first floor still is being used for the offices of the Planning and Building departments, the second floor has the California history museum located in the large assembly hall. This museum was established in 1949 to educate the public of both local and state history. According to the museum’s website it is open for free daily from 10-4pm. A docent is on staff during these hours for information and tours.

In this large assembly hall today the museum offers displays of early California history, under the juresdiction of The historical California Landmarks Organization. The main exhibit depicts exactly what the gathering of the 48 delegates from the ten districts looked like: complete with chairs, desks, etc. Tom and visited the second floor, and it truly does look like the delegates stepped out of the room for lunch.

HISTORY:

This beautiful 1849 town hall was named after the Navy Chaplain, Walter Colton who was was appointed to serve as Alcalde or Chief Magistrate of the Monterey district;having the powerful office of alcalde from 1846-1849. Colton served as mayor, coroner, judge, sheriff, in charge of weights and measures, prosecutor, and tax collector.”

Colton Hall was designed with both community and city government in mind. Walter Colton had a vision. Walter Colton wanted to build a grand structure, modeled after buildings he had seen in New York City. a school building that could also fell the need of the Monterey city government and community events. Committed to find the funds, Colton took full advance of his considerable political power.

“He would tax cantinas, alcohol and gambling, sell city lots and used the money toward the building. When he found someone “misbehaving” he would arrest them as the sheriff, throw them in jail and act as the judge, often times sentencing them to labor on the school. When the building was completed March 8, 1849 it was the largest public building in California.”

Walter Colton who described his finished building this way: “It is built of a white stone, quarried from a neighboring hill, and which easily takes the shape you desire. The lower apartments are for schools; the hall over them – seventy feet by thirty – is for public assemblies. The front is ornamented with a portico, which you enter from the hall.”

Colton’s building, deemed to be the most beautiful building in 1849 California, was the place chosen by the Military Governor; Governor Riley to be the meeting place of California’s Constitutional Convention, to make decisions about their soon to be state government as they become one of the United States.

“Forty-eight delegates elected from ten districts debated complicated issues such as the location of the eastern boundary line — the Sierra Nevada Mountains or the Rocky Mountains. Slavery was forbidden in this historic document and after some heated discussion, San Jose was chosen as the first State Capital. Before voting, each resolution and article was translated into Spanish for the benefit of the eight delegates who spoke only that language.”

Colton Hall indeed became a beloved landmark by the people of Monterey County, who took pains to keep up the maintenance as they had considerable pride for such a classy government building. Over the years, Monterey’s City Hall, a public school, the county court house, the sheriff’s office, and Monterey’s city police headquarters have all resided in this classy, Greek Rival Style city building.

Many events have taken place in the second floor assembly hall .A museum described above was established in 1949. According to the museum’s website it is open for free daily from 10-4pm. A docent is on staff during these hours for information and tours.

The Monterey City Jail was built right next to it in 1854, and was used until 1956! No one ever escaped! The jail is also part of the city museum and can be toured. It was really basic with really thick granite walls; a sobering place to be held, that’s for sure!

HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS:

When people are executed by the authorities guilty or not, their spirits have been known to linger where they suffered the death penalty for the crimes that they were accused of and were found guilty in either a fair jury of their peers or a Kangaroo court. Sometimes they are afraid to go to the other side because of their life here, or want justice.

(Hangman Icecream Shop and connecting building – CA * Whaley House – CA * Wyoming Frontier Prison – WY * Saint Augustine St John County Jail – FL)

The convicted were hung by a rope over the balcony porch of the second floor on Colton Hall. The idea of humane hanging wasn’t thought of yet, though in other parts of California a military firing squad took care of criminals facing the death penalty..(Massacre at San Miguel Mission – CA)

People who made their living being jailers or security officers can’t quite let go of this world, still wanting to continue on in their service here; because they loved it or because they failed in their effort.

(Ohio State Reformatory Museum and Events * Cripple Creek Jail – CO * Lake County Jail – IN * Santa Barbara Mission)

Perhaps the jail guards who led the guilty to their end or security hired to keep the authorities safe who had meetings in the grand event hall, still want to continue to do so, not letting the fact that they are in spirit form stop them

People while alive who had a strong influence on the building and maintaining a favorite structure in this world, sometimes like to visit and keep an eye on the living.

(Cabbage Patch House – KY * The Sun Inn – PA * Glessner House – Henry Hobson Richardson – IL * Oak Alley Plantation – LA)

Walter Colton was the sole force in getting this masterpiece built. He may be visiting it in his after-life.

MANIFESTATIONS:

The living have experienced moving cold spots that don’t have a logical explanation.

Spirits of jailers or security guards, or perhaps the spirit of Walter Colton keep an eye on the living.

Tour Docents and visitors have felt the sensation of unseen presences keeping a close eye on them.

Spirits of Former executed people

The living have heard foot steps on the porch balcony where the convicted were hung to slowly strangle to death.

PARANORMAL FINDINGS:

Loads of personal experiences have reported the manifestations listed above.

No hard evidence has been shared with the public. If a paranormal investigation was done here, it surely was a private investigation not to be shared with anyone.

STILL HAUNTED?

Possibly so. There is no hard evidence, but more subtle activity experienced by many people here may point to some visiting or residence spirits.

It is hard to tell who is here because so far none of these unseen presences have appeared or talked through a medium, EVPS, divining rods or directly let their presences be known. There have been subtle activity reported but no clear in your face evidence; the spirits have more class and manners than to do so.They have the purpose of helping the living be safe and protect the building.