Old Boise Historic District Boise, Idaho

Text courtesy of the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Parks Service. Minor transcription errors or changes in formatting may have occurred; please see the Nomination Form PDF for official text. Some information may have become outdated since the property was nominated for the Register.

While the time span for many of the buildings in Boise 1 s Historic District runs from
1879 to ca. 1917, the majority of the buildings date from the turn of the century. The
styles are typical of Boise buildings from that period. The primary building material is
brick, with local sandstone adding variety both structurally and decoratively. A number
of different building functions is represented in the district, including dwellings,
commercial buildings, meeting halls, an office building, a public building and a newspaper printing plant.
The district includes Idaho Street from Capitol Boulevard to one-half block east of
5th Street, -Main; Street from Capitol Boulevard to one-half block east of 5th Street;
and 6th ^Street between Idaho "Street and Grove Street. '
A brief description of the 'most important buildings follows:
Adelman Block (Pong's Chinese Restaurant) (1902) 624 West Idaho Street: The
two-story building has a tan pressed brick facade on both street sides. A bay window
adorns the second floor on both south and west sides, and a round tower with conical
roof is set at the corner at the second floor level. Trim is rusticated sandstone.
Cornice employs a stepped brick pattern.
Valencia Restaurant (Same/Les's Stereo Lounge) (Circa 1937) 616 West Idaho Street
The one-and-a-half story brick building is in a moderne style and has an entry at
the right corner. It sits on a raised foundation and has seven 2 x 10 windows.
/Is). Twentieth Century Bowling Lanes (Capitol Lithograph & Printing Co.) (Circa 1930)
610 West Idaho: The one-story building is of reinforced concrete and is in the
moderne style. It is distinguished by its centered entry bay with a stepped tower.
It is ; nine bays, wide and. originally served as a bowling alley, and later an archery
range. ' * '" ' r ''"'" ' ! ' v
!/(4)- F.O.E. Building (Jones Block) (Eagles Building) 604 West Idaho Street: Rising
three stories in height, this red brick building is topped with a flat roof. Windows
on second and third floors are double-hung sash, with those on the second floor topped
with brick lintels containing stone keystones. The brick cornice has distinctive
raised brick pendants that hang down between the windows on the third floor. Curved
false gable at front contains F.O.E. initials.
Dwelling (Archery Shop) (ca. 1897) 210 North 6th Street: This two-story brick
building has a tall and narrow design, topped with a gable roof and two tall, plain
chimneys. Long, narrow double-hung sash windows and doors are topped with brick arches
The main alteration 1 has been the removal of a second story balcony and 'small front
porch, at an unknown date. The building was a residence until 1945 and since that time
has housed an archery business.
v/(6). Fire Department Storage Building (ca. 1900) behind 520 West Idaho Street: A
'one-story brick building which was originally an electric company sub-station.
(7). Central Fire Station (1903) 522 West Idaho Street: Central Fire Station is a
two-story brick structure trimmed in local gray sandstone. It originally had a bell
tower on the southwest corner, but with the advent of electric alarm systems and the
disbanding of the volunteer firemen that it called, it was removed. The three vehicle
doors on Sixth Street were originally round-arched in rusticated sandstone. These too
have been removed in favor of larger doors, rectangular in shape, to allow passage of
large equipment.
(8). Fire Station Alarm Building (post World War II) 520 West Idaho: The two-story
building is of brick and a compatible recent addition. It has terra cotta bandings
between the first and second stories and at the roof with cantilevered awnings. It
is four bays wide with casement windows.
Star Rooms (Aguirre Building, The Star Rooming House) (1895) 512 West Idaho Street:
This hip-roofed, two-story clapboard rooming house is typical of a small Western frontier
town of the 1890' s. It has a wide verandah across the front, two stories high, supported
by turned wooden posts with band-sawn brackets. A central door and two double-hung
sash windows open onto the upper porch, while one double-hung sash window, a central
door and a large bay window open onto the lower porch. Small stained glass panes trim
the first floor door. The building has been restored recently with accuracy and
sensitivity.
/(10) Royal Hotel (Boise Water Corporation)(ca. 1890) 500 Idaho Street: This two-story
brick building is in the moderne style. The first story facade has been recently
remodeled, with a tile facade, but does not detract from the district, as its second
story remains intact.
/(ll). Catholic Church (Roman Catholic Chancery of Idaho) 422 West Idaho Street:
Originally a residence, this building was redesigned in 1918 by Tourtellotte and
Hummel as a church for Boise's large Basque community. Distinctive features include
a wooden cornice with brackets supporting the graceful mansard roof. A projecting bay
at the front contains the round-arched entry and the double doors. The bay window
on the west side is trimmed with band-sawn brackets at the top. All other windows are
topped with segmental arches, some of which are decorated with rusticated stone. (12). R. Z. Johnson Law Office (Carey Nixon Law Office) (1885) 112 North 6th Street:
This one-story red brick building is a delightful example of very late Greek Revival
architecture gone Victorian. The long and narrow structure presents a three-column
portico to the street. The delicate wooden columns are carved to imitate the more
popular cast iron of the period. The off-center front door and paired windows under
the portico are topped by flattened arches and stone ornament. The facade is pressed
brick. The original roof was of iron, shipped in sections from Chicago so that it
fitted exactly when installed.
\Xl3). R. Z. Johnson Block (Winery/Nat Adams Architects) (1892) 577 West Idaho Street:
This two-story block is Rhenish Romanesque in character, with two octagonal towers and
two picturesque dormers set in the half-timbered second story. Raised basement is of
rusticated stone while first story is pressed brick with rusticated stone trim. The
two first story entrances are set in round-arched openings which are accented by raised
brick arches. Second story windows are also round-arched.
/fl4). Gibson Funeral Home (ca. 1935) 507 West Idaho Street: This one-story brick
building is in the moderne style and is distinguished by its rounded corner with a
block glass window. A canti levered modern styled roof protects the right of center
entry. The building is four bays wide with paned casement windows.
Goodman Oil Company (Flying A Service Station) (Del's 76 Service Station) 503
West Idaho: The Flying A service station has a science-fiction cylindrical fluted
tower over the semi -circular gas pump hood. Others in the Moderne group are numbers
2, 3, 8, 10, 14, 18, 27, 33, and 35. They are not incompatible with the older buildings for the most part. The only conspicuious intrusion is Hawkins 1 Take-Out Restaurant (36), a Colonel Sanders Chicken franchise.
/(16). Pioneer Tent Building/Packard Building (Old Boise) (1910) 516 West Main Street:
This is a two-story brick commercial building with stone cornice and trim. Windows have
rusticated stone lintels. The tall Sixth Street entrance is round-arched with flanking
pilasters, topped by a wrought-iron balcony.
Jellison Monuments (St. Charles Place) 510 West Main Street: This is a typical
small shop or business building of the early 1900s. It is one story, with large
windows in the front and an off-center front door with transom. A row of windows runs
across the front above main windows and the door. Pairs of double-hung sash windows
are set in the east side. /(18). Main and Fifth Market (originally a gas station) (ca. 1930) 500 Main Street:
This one-story reinforced concrete building is characterized by flowing lines and a
curved entry bay. It has been recently remodeled and a self-service gas pump is to
be installed in its front parking area.
/(19). House of Louie 108 South Capitol Boulevard: Adjoining the Fritchman (Perrault)
Building on the south side is the House of Louie, a two-story brick structure with
round-arched windows on the second floor. Arches are flattened, emphasized by raised
brick arches with dentil pattern.
^20). Perrault Building (Nanci's, Fritchman's) 625 West Main Street: The building is
a simple square stone veneer building two stories in height. The stone is cut in large
smooth blocks. Lines are very clean and angular. Above the three rectangular second
story windows at the front are three rectangular recessed panels. Store front on the
first floor is modern, replacing three arched windows. A wooden balcony extended
over the sidewalk on the west side in the past.
v (21). Sandwich Factory (ca. 1910) 623 West Main Street: This two-story brick building
has had its facade slightly remodeled, and remains a contribution to the district.
The first story now has a large plate glass window but the 1930s 8x4 paned second
story window has been retained.
v/f22). Grid's Buffalo Club. (ca. 1910) 621 Main Street: This two-story brick building has been stuccoed over and a pressed steel awning added. The facade has been
fairly well obliterated but is reasonable.
y(23). Empire Theater (Idaho Blueprint) (ca. 1910) 619 Main Street: This two-story
brick commercial building has cut stone trim. Its facade was remodeled with tile
in the 1920s, although its simple cornice remains unaltered.
24). Masonic Hall (Salvation Army) (1892) 615 West Main Street: This two-story
brick building has a remodeled stucco first floor facade covering original cast iron
columns and beams, but retains its interesting second floor facade. Double-hung sash
windows are set in three groupings. The left and right groups are topped with a band
of contrasting stone which forms a continuous lintel. About two feet above are small
transoms, adding to the vertical effect of the building. The central bay has three
round arches above a recessed panel and two windows with high transoms. The original
ornate wooden cornice is now gone. (25). Telephone Company Annex (ca. 1915): This one-story brick structure is a
compatible addition. This narrow buff brick building has an entry and one set of
windows, and is dominated by the surrounding structures.
/
i/(26). Telephone Building (1899) 609 West Main Street: A series of four round arches
tops the door and window openings on the ground story. Arches are supported by
carved monolithic columns and capitals, which combine with the rusticated sandstone
to create a Romanesque effect. Four pairs of rectangular windows mark the second
story facade which employs smooth-finished stone. / -'
j(27). Telephone Company Annex (ca. 1930): This small, one-story addition is a compatible structure of recent construction. It contains one set of windows and is dwarfed
by the Red Cross and Telephone buildings on either side.
v1[28). Statesman Building (Red Cross Headquarters) (1910) 603 West Main Street:
Georgian Revival in design, this building has five large and graceful round-arched
windows which span the second story facade. An iron false balcony runs the width of
the building below these windows. The central doorway on the ground floor is recessed,
with flanking columns in the Tuscan order. A classical cornice tops the pale ivory
pressed brick facade.
v(29). Dwelling (Chinese Houseboat) (ca. 1900) 111 South Sixth: This two-story brick
house is distinguished by its front porch with its Tuscan columns. The segmental
arched windows are corbelled and the building terminates with a brick cornice. It
sits on a raised cut stone foundation.
-/(30). Chico Club (Apartments) (ca. 1915) 117 South Sixth: This two-story brick building was remodeled in the 1930's having originally been a one story structure. It has
segmental arched windows and a parapet. Both this and the Chinese Houseboat are
stylistically consistent with the rest of the district. Tiled shed hoods were added
above the second story windows. A similarly styled entry roof was also constructed.
/ (31). Boise Turnverein Building (Crescent Building) (1906) 523 Main Street: This
two-story brick building has a row of very large round-arched windows on the west
side, in what used to be a theater. Also on the west is a massive pressed brick Romanesque doorway. Other windows are rectangular, and all windows have wide borders
with brick set in dentil pattern to match the simple cornice.