Architect Mary Colter designed the Watchtower at Desert View after the Fred Harvey Company hired her in 1930 to create a gift shop and rest area that would provide the widest possible view of Grand Canyon while harmonizing with its setting. A perfectionist, she scrutinized every detail, including the placement of nearly every stone. Each stone was handpicked for size and appearance, and weathered faces were left untouched to give the tower an ancient look. The Watchtower opened in May 1933 with a lavish, highly publicized dedication ceremony. For almost 50 years, Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter designed structures and interiors throughout the Southwest for the Fred Harvey Company, and six of her works can be seen at Grand Canyon: Hopi House, Bright Angel Lodge, Lookout Studio, Hermits Rest, Phantom Ranch, and the Watchtower.