Assay Office (Boise, Idaho) facts for kids
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Assay Office
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 Assay Office
Location in Idaho
Assay Office
Location in the United States
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| Location | 210 Main Street, Boise, Idaho |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1871 |
| Architect | Alfred B. Mullett; John R. McBride |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000305 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | May 30, 1961 |
The Assay Office is a very old building located at 210 Main Street in Boise, Idaho. It was super important for the history of mining in Idaho. It was also the first big building built by the federal government in the Idaho Territory.
In the early 1860s, Idaho produced the third most gold in the entire country! Gold ore is very heavy. It was hard to move it all the way to the nearest U.S. Mint in San Francisco. People really needed an office in Idaho to assay their gold. To assay means to test and separate precious metals from other stuff. This helped miners figure out how much their gold was worth.
The Building's Story
In 1869, the U.S. Congress decided to spend $75,000 to build an assay office in Boise. A kind citizen named Alexander Rossi donated the land for the building. This land was a whole city block!
Construction started in 1870 and finished in 1871. John R. McBride, who was the Chief Justice of Idaho, was the builder. The building had a special dome on top called a cupola. This helped with air flow. Inside, the doors had strong iron cages for safety.
The first floor held the offices where the assayers worked. It also had strong vaults and safes. There were rooms with furnaces for melting and testing metals. A laboratory and storage for chemicals were also on this floor. The second floor was a home for the chief assayer. It had a living room, kitchen, dining room, and three bedrooms. The basement was used for fuel, supplies, and even had rooms for guards.
How the Office Worked
All the special equipment was ready by March 2, 1872. That's when the first assay, or test, happened. John R. McBride, the builder, became the Superintendent of the Assay Office. Alexander Rossi, who gave the land, was the temporary Chief Assayer.
When the office first opened, mining was a bit slow. This was because the easy-to-find gold on the surface was running out. This slow period lasted about ten years. Then, new gold was found in northern Idaho. In 1887, railroads came to Idaho. This, along with new money, made it possible to dig much deeper for gold.
A few years after opening, the Assay Office started buying gold for the U.S. government. By 1895, they had bought over one million dollars worth of gold! For the next eleven years, they bought more than one and a half million dollars of gold each year. The building got some updates in 1889 and 1890. These included a new fence, new floors, hot and cold water, and electric lights.
What Happened Next
The Assay Office closed its doors in 1933. The building was then given to the United States Forest Service. They used it as their offices. During this time, some changes were made. The iron bars were taken off the windows. New windows were added to the back wall. The old vaults and melting furnaces were removed. The inside walls were also moved around.
In 1961, the Assay Office was named a National Historic Landmark. This was because it played such an important part in Idaho's growth. In 1972, the building was given to the Idaho State Historical Society. Today, it is home to the State Historical Preservation Office. It also houses the Archaeological Survey of Idaho.
See also
