Coton's cottage was built in 1864 by Bentley Coton who, with his wife Sarah Jane, was thought to be the first smallholder farmer in the Hororata district.

Coton's Cob Cottage, built in 1864

Construction was a cob mixture of local clay and tussock. The clay was extracted from the land at the rear of the building and tussock cut from the surrounding farmland. The roof was thatched wheat straw which was replaced with shingles and finally with corrugated iron.

In the period prior to the district's Anglican Church being built in 1875, regular use of the cottage was made for religious services.

The cottage and surrounding land were gifted to the Crown in 1974 by Mr R. Oliver for an historic reserve.

This historic building was extensively damaged during the earthquake of 4 September 2010. The Hororata Historic Society again rebuilt Coton’s Cob Cottage, and it reopened in March 2014.

The cottage was rebuilt to the original specifications by the Hororata Historic Society Incorporated, work taking approximately one year and completed in 1978.

Much of the original clay was used in the construction, and joinery, such as doors and window frames, was also reused.