Boise 360 Blog

The Haunted Buildings of Boise

October 17, 2011

           In an enchanted world where dead men tell no tales, buildings can contain bone chilling secrets. In celebration of Halloween, the BAP staff decided to blog some blood-curdling stories of haunted houses and spooky buildings throughout the city of Boise. Even in our small city, there are numerous stories of the undead to be heard. From the undesired screams of the murderous “chop chop” house, to the haunted door at the Westside Drive-in, the BAP is on the ghouly scene.

Show Comments (0) | Add Comment

Pride and Prejudice

September 26, 2011

     For all of us that have traveled outside of this fair state, we know what kind of reaction we get when we tell people that we hail from Idaho. That step-back, eyebrow-scrunching, oh-what-a-poor-little-hick reaction we get from others who don’t know the immense beauty and historical value of our state may get under our skin. Some of us may try to rationalize where we come from, “Oh, but I am from Boise: the only cool part of Idaho,” or “Luckily, I live in Sun Valley, so I see tons of celebrities on the slopes and such.”

            “Big name” states like California, New York or Texas may look down on residents from the less-populated states, such as Kansas, Idaho or North Dakota, but are they completely to blame for their reaction? Let’s admit it, the press hasn’t exactly promoted Idaho in the past few years; what with the whole Larry Craig scandal, the hit movie Napolean Dynamite and the Robert Manwill search.

            In history, there has always been a division between civilizations in the same region. Want a prime example? Try the Union North versus the Confederate South in the American Civil War. Look at North and South Korea. Listen to a northern Italian talk about those “dirty, good-for-nothing” southern Italians. Geography has always played an important role in how we define ourselves, and many of us are guilty of dividing our own state by these means. Here in southern Idaho, and especially in Boise, we can disassociate ourselves with those “no-good, Republican, farming and gun-firing hicks” of northern Idaho. Up in the north of Idaho, being a “granola-eating, BSU Bronco-supporting, ski bum, liberal pansy” southerner could just be the worst thing ever.

            Ideas like this, the association of populations based on where they happen to be in the geography of a region, have always and will always be around. We see support of these “class” divisions in social media, like the Facebook group entitled, “I’m not from Idaho, I’m from Boise. There is a difference.”

            The question that plagues us is this: what is it about our fair state that we should boast about and should unite us with one another? How about Idaho’s history with mining? In the late 1800’s, our very own Blaine County was booming full of hopefuls searching to get rich quickly by discovering gold. This impacted not only the economy and population of Idaho, but the Chinese population in Boise. Did you know that for over 65 years, Front and 8^th Street in Boise was a Chinatown? Unfortunately it was torn down in 1970, but the impact has lasted through modern day.

            How about the first public university in Idaho? This school was the only college in our state for 71 years, and is still the only accredited law school. That’s right, the University of Idaho in Latah County may not be a rival in football against Boise State University, but BSU is no competition for U of I in terms of history.

            How about cool architecture? We aren’t just talking about the Cathedral of the Rockies when we discuss Gothic Revival buildings. How about the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Salmon, Idaho? We may not notice, but Salmon is actually chock-full of historic architecture; next time you are up there, check out the Odd Fellows Hall, which is an awesome example of a Greek Revival building. Looking for something more modern? How about the Washington County Courthouse, which was designed by some of our favorite local architects, John Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel, in a Modern/Art Deco style.

            All in all, folks, is it so bad to be from Moscow? Or how about from Challis? Society has always divided itself based upon geography, and this can be seen in countless cultures of history. For every reason that human nature has to divide us, though, we find a reason to strike back. Funny enough, we are all a lot more connected than we think. If we keep looking back into history, we can find reasons to unite in our present and our future.

Show Comments (0) | Add Comment

What We Think

August 10, 2011

School starts in two weeks but the BAP Student Advisory Board (SAB) at Boise High has been at work this summer on new projects.   We'll be meeting one more time before school starts to focus in on the upcoming school year.    With that in mind, here is a "blast from the past" featuring some most excellent Timberline SAB students.

(Originally published March 10, 2010)

Written by Caroline W. 

The BAP Student Advisory Board (Left to Right): Ivan, Jazz, Caroline, Will, Kelly, Brody, Jarret, and Nate

So, what do teenagers do in their spare time these days? 

For most folks, any activity related to architecture or preservation probably wouldn’t be their first – or second – guess. They, however, haven’t met us. 

That’s right – for a certain “crazy” group of kids at Timberline High, running around town collecting stories and documenting history is what we do. 

The Boise Architecture Project (BAP) Student Advisory Board is a group of students who have shown a special interest in the Boise community. We blog for you here, we document cool local buildings, and we help determine future projects for the BAP. We also eat lunch together once a month, and the conversation lately has focused on why we are all involved in this project. 

The only plausible conclusion is that the Student Advisory Board is quite simply a unique group of people. We’re not slackers. We don’t play on our iPods all day long, and we don’t have our cell phones glued to our palms. Dare I say it – we’re responsible teenagers. We have a real enthusiasm for the BAP, which is why we work so hard for it.   

But enough from me; allow me to introduce you to the members of the Student Advisory Board themselves: 

Nate V. – “The architecture of a building is the cover of the building that people rarely care about but judge often. We at the BAP are trying to surpass these trifling judgments and educate ourselves and others to realize the importance of the building.” (Special note: Nate is currently serving on the board of directors with Preservation Idaho, influencing preservation issues statewide. Woot BAP!)  

Jarrett B. – “Architecture is important to me because it’s ‘living history.’ The BAP provides an important vehicle for students to discover appreciation in architectural perspective.” (You should know that Jarrett’s photographs of the WPA building, North Junior High, won a finalist award in last year’s Idaho State Historical Society’s photography contest. Mmhmm that’s right!)  

Ivan V. – “Expanding the collective knowledge by getting histories and personal stories of individuals is what’s so cool about the BAP. And the opportunity to learn about architectural styles and the periods associated with them.” (Remember Ivan? A couple of months ago, he wrote a modernism blog about Frank Lloyd Wright that racked up comments and likes on Facebook like you wouldn’t believe.) 

Will F. – “BAP is important because it’s an outlet for people who want to learn more about architecture. It’s different because students are actually interested in it, and it’s a successful program.” (Will’s favorite pastime? Historic building hunting in his car.) 

Kelly W. – “BAP lets me contribute to the school and the community by spreading awareness about architecture and doing awesome stuff like picketing and going to rallies. It helps make people realize that Boise actually has worthwhile places, and that historic buildings should be preserved.“ (Did you attend protests in high school? Kelly – along with several other BAP students – did, and they were a critical voice in the local effort to save Cole Elementary School.) 

Brody C. – “Architecture and historic preservation are fountains of joy. By preserving architecture, we preserve the history surrounding the time period of construction.” (Brody got to take the Idaho Candy Company’s factory tour, and he brought a bunch of free Idaho Spud Bars back to class. Seems like a pretty sweet experience to me.) 

Kim M. – “BAP allows me to look at buildings differently. With the buildings beauty magnified, I’m more excited to learn about them.” (You should know that Kim is the person I am attempting to emulate. Last semester she blogged, protested, and had a major influence on the architectural community here in town.) 

Jazz P. – “The Boise Architecture Project is not only making the memorable buildings of Boise exciting, but is re-introducing the importance of preserving culture and history within the city. ” (As for Jazz, all I can say is that she is really excited to visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation headquarters on our trip to Washington in a couple of weeks. Oh wait, so am I!) 

Now, we’ve said our piece – what are other students doing in their hometowns to preserve history? We want to hear from you. 

Carolyn W. is a student at Boise’s Timberline High School and is participating in the Boise Architecture Project. You can follow the students here on the PreservationNation blog and on their Flickr photostream. Also, get daily updates from their teacher, Doug StanWiens, on Twitter.

Show Comments (0) | Add Comment

Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot

June 30, 2011

 Joni Mitchell once sang “They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot.”   With that song stuck in my head, I accompanied more than twenty other interested Boise citizens on Preservation Idaho’s first Arch Walk of the 2011 summer season around what is the quickly disappearing Central Addition of Boise’s downtown.     This “addition” to the early Boise plat map located between current Front and Myrtle streets and fourth and sixth streets, is being threatened by development and misuse.     A little over a year ago, BAP students were inspired by the National Trust’s 11 Most Endangered Sites list to create Boise’s own list which included the Central Addition.    See our previous blog for a repost of this blog.   

 Ok, but really.   Apart from the sentimentality for old buildings, why should Boiseans care about the Central Addition?   You know the area, by Winco, uncomfortably squeezed by surface office buildings, inhabited by a lower socio-economic status probably not so interested in the intricate Victorian spindle work on the sagging front porch of their rental.    It doesn’t seem to have a future.   It doesn’t appear to be part of the “master plan.”   What is the alternative to the tide?   

 Dan Everhart, a PI Board member, made it clear what vision could work when he stood on fourth street at the end of our tour and talked eloquently about a future that included a reference to the past, to Boise’s history.   This vision would include tree lined neighborhoods with deliberately and beautifully built homes that reflected Boiseans’ dreams and aspirations.    The homes could serve non-profits, offices, anyone willing to apply fresh paint and some care in order to have a space to operate.   Furthermore, this vision should include Boise’s only Second Empire style home

with incredibly ornate wood work and two of Boise’s only Shotgun style homes.

Isn’t protecting the last of something worthwhile?  

Back to Joni Mitchell.   The threat is real.    The immediate plan is to demolish the 1894 Victorian home of the Fowler family

in September if it is not moved by then.   This home features a nicely intricate exterior and fantastic wooden trim on the interior that echoes the sun burst designs found in the roof line gables.   I would think the trim and the colored glass windows themselves would be of interest to someone.    If the house remains in September, it will be demolished, with materials hauled to the landfill and the memories of the home left in Dan Everhart’s files.   The plan is to replace it with a parking lot supposedly needed to relieve the parking crunch in the area.    As we ended the tour, Dan pointed out that two parking lots already in the area were at most only two thirds full of cars.    That’s what we get for paving Boise’s history?  

Show Comments (0) | Add Comment

What's Endangered in Boise?

June 29, 2011

Written by Members of the BAP Student Advisory Board, originally posted on June 8, 2010

Summer vacation is almost here, but things couldn’t be busier for the Boise Architecture Project. Hopefully you caught our last blog post. If you didn’t, here’s a quick rundown.    

We were inspired by the recent release of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2010 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places – so inspired that we decided to give making our own list of local sites that could use some TLC a shot. To make it happen, we spent the final few weeks of our school year connecting with Boise preservationists, architects, historians, and media on their recommendations. While we couldn’t include every suggestion (we had tons!), we did our best to ensure that those that made the final cut met the National Trust’s criteria for its endangered list.    

So, may we have a drum roll please?   

The struggling Central Addition Neighborhood contains some of Boise’s earliest residential housing, dating well over 100 years.

The Central Addition Neighborhood: This area contains some of Boise’s earliest residential housing, dating well over 100 years. A handful of 19th-century Victorian homes still exist in the area, reminding us of the aspirations of early Boiseans and the “Athens of the Sagebrush” mentality they had. However, a drive through the neighborhood today reveals boarded windows, overgrown yards, and “for sale” signs as medical offices and banks encroach on the historic lots. Current development plans for the area do not support the preservation of these homes, instead promoting “high density” development. Sadly, many of the historic gems of the area has already disappeared.    

Block 44 Downtown: This downtown block is anchored by two historic, turn-of-the-century buildings – the Mode Department Store Building and the McCarty Building. Both are architecturally significant and have played an important role in Boise life. The Mode was a high-end department store that was in business for over 100 years. It even featured live models in the windows in the early 1900′s. The Mode Tea House was also a local favorite. Today the building is occupied by restaurants and a North Face clothing store. Aside from the Mode and other restaurants along the popular 8th Street part of the block, the rest of the area has struggled with occupancy during the economic downturn. Since the block is owned by an out-of-town developer and is unprotected, some believe it is open for a complete redevelopment once the economy recovers.      

Old Ada County Courthouse: Built in 1939 by the Public Works Administration, this building has been used as a jail, a courthouse, and recently, the home of the Idaho State Legislature. It features Works Progress Administration murals symbolic of Idaho history, and is a magnificent example of Art Deco and ziggurat style from that time period. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and occupies a central space among other state government buildings. However, it is currently vacant despite an upgrade for the legislature. The building is owned by the state, which is currently experiencing financial difficulties. Future plans for the building are unknown.   

Spaulding Ranch stands today as one of the last of Boise’s original agricultural areas.

Spaulding Ranch: This 20-acre farm was first homesteaded in West Boise in 1896 and was home to Mary Spaulding, Boise’s first female doctor. The ranch had over 100 acres and nine buildings, including a quintessential red barn. It stands as one of the last of Boise’s original agricultural areas. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, and is the only legal working farm inside Boise’s city limits. Today, it is surrounded by urban development along a connector road. Despite some protection by its historic status, it is threatened by various urban issues like expansion of roads, residential development, and neglect.        

1000 Block of Main Street: This downtown block contains some of Boise’s most historic buildings, including the Gem Building, the Alaska Center, and Hannifan’s Cigar Shop. These buildings stand as the last remains of the turn-of-the-century hotel and mercantile district next to the railroad, and they remind many of Boise’s development from a frontier town into a more mature state capital. Hannifan’s still has the pot-bellied stove that heated the shop during the Great Depression, and many of Idaho’s most important men have purchased cigars there. Though the block is currently on the National Register of Historic Places, the economic downturn and a lack of protection from renewal threaten the block with redevelopment that could compromise its historic nature.    

Reserve Street Armory: The concrete form, Art Deco style Armory was designed by local architect Frederick Hummel and built by New Deal programs in 1937. It housed the Idaho National Guard in Boise’s East End until the 1970′s, and was purchased by the City of Boise in 1996 and added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently vacant, the target of vandals, and has fallen into disrepair. The City of Boise is attempting to sell the property to raise funds, and its fate is unknown despite the work of the Armory subcommittee of the East End Neighborhood Association.    

The Campus at Fort Boise: This campus, containing numerous historic buildings, was established during the Civil War to protect miners from attacks by natives. It remained a fort until 1912 when it was virtually abandoned for military use. In 1930, the campus was turned over to the Veteran’s Administration, which manages it now. Many of the buildings on the campus feature a Federal Revival style, some with brick and others constructed with local sandstone. While a new, contemporary style building was just constructed at the entrance of the campus, many of the older buildings are endangered by age, neglect, and a lack of funding and planning for preservation.   

Sergeant City: In the late 1930’s, as America slowly prepared to go to war, Boise’s air base at Gowen Field grew busy and local housing was needed. The U.S. government decided to build a residential complex where single and multi-family homes were constructed. The homes were mostly occupied by non-commissioned officers or sergeants, hence the name of the neighborhood. Homes are accessed by the appropriately named Custer and Pershing Drives. While the area remains about 85% intact, neglect, development, infill housing, and a lack of knowledge about the importance of the area make it endangered in the long run.    

In 1969, this building was constructed as a Sambo’s Restaurant in the futuristic Googie style, and is the only example of its kind in Idaho.

Googie-Style Restaurant: In 1969, this building was constructed as a Sambo’s Restaurant in the futuristic Googie style, and is the only example of its kind in Idaho today. Sambo’s fell out of favor in the late 1970′s and the restaurant closed, being reoccupied in 1989 as a Japanese Tepanyaki restaurant. It is located in a semi-industrial area and the building is suffering from some disrepair. Furthermore, it is not protected and few are aware of its architecture significance as an important example of that time period.      

The Works of Arthur Troutner: Boise features three homes designed by Idaho architect Art Troutner. His works feature Frank Lloyd Wright inspired designs and stand as quintessential mid-century modern style. His use of natural materials, clean lines, and unique elements make his houses historically and architecturally important. The Edith Klein Home was built for one of the first women in Idaho to pass the bar exam and to serve in the state legislature. While current owners appear to support  preservation, they are not currently protected by a thematic historic designation like several of Troutner’s homes in Idaho Falls. Age and disrepair will test their preservation.     

The University Neighborhood: The campus Boise State University contains a number of historic buildings, dating from its founding in the 1940’s through its recent growth into a nationally-recognized university. While its elegant Administration Building has been preserved, at least three other structures face threats. The former University Inn – built in 1957 as a Thunderbird Lodge and the site of a famous Boise “watering hole” – is now vacant and used as a campus parking lot. It is slated to be torn down soon to make way for a new building for the School of Business and Economics. The Old Campus School was built in 1953 as an elementary school where Boise College of Education students studied to become teachers. Its Collegiate Gothic style is one of only a few on campus and represents Boise State’s early history as a well-styled junior college. The building’s demolition is proposed under the current campus master plan. Finally, Boise State is expanding south of University Drive where new buildings are already underway. The University Christian Church, built in 1980 with its international style bell tower, is potentially endangered by this expansion. It remains to be seen just how the campus expansion will treat its older, historically-significant sites.    

Show Comments (2) | Add Comment