National Register of Historic Places listings in Ada County, Idaho facts for kids

Welcome to Ada County, Idaho! This page is all about the special places here that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Think of it like a Hall of Fame for buildings, sites, and objects that are important to American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture. When a place is on this list, it means it's recognized as a valuable part of our past and is worth protecting for future generations.

Ada County has 161 places on this list, and one of them is even a super important one called a National Historic Landmark. New places are added to the Register almost every week across the country! Let's explore some of these amazing historic spots in Ada County.

What is the National Register of Historic Places?

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places that are worth saving. It's managed by the National Park Service, which is part of the United States government. Being on the Register helps people understand why a place is important and encourages them to protect it. It's not just about old buildings; it can be anything from a famous battlefield to a unique bridge or even a whole neighborhood!

Historic Places in Boise

Most of Ada County's historic places are in the city of Boise. Let's look at some cool examples!

Important Buildings in Downtown Boise

Boise's downtown area has many historic buildings that tell stories of the city's past.

The Assay Office

The Assay Office at 210 Main Street is a very important building. It was built in 1871 and was used to test the purity of gold and silver from the mines. This helped make sure people were getting fair prices for their valuable metals. It's so important that it's a National Historic Landmark!

Ada Odd Fellows Temple

The Ada Odd Fellows Temple at 109-115½ N. 9th Street was listed in 1982. Sadly, only parts of its front wall are still standing today. It was once a meeting place for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a friendly society that helped people in their community.

Ada Theater

The Ada Theater at 700 Main Street was added to the Register in 1974. This old theater was a popular spot for entertainment, where people would go to watch movies or live shows.

Boise City National Bank

The Boise City National Bank building, located at 8th and Idaho Streets, was listed in 1978. This grand building shows the importance of banks in the growth of early Boise.

Idanha Hotel

The Idanha Hotel at 10th and Main Streets is another famous landmark, listed in 1974. It's known for its beautiful architecture and was a fancy place for travelers and important visitors to stay.

Carnegie Public Library

The Carnegie Public Library at 815 W. Washington Street was listed in 1974. This library was built with money from Andrew Carnegie, a famous businessman who funded thousands of libraries across the United States. It was a place for everyone to learn and read.

Chinese Odd Fellows Building

The Chinese Odd Fellows Building at 610-612 Front Street was added in 1982. This building is important because it shows the history of the Chinese community in Boise and their social organizations.

Cyrus Jacobs House

The Cyrus Jacobs House at 607 Grove Street was listed in 1972. It's a great example of the homes built by important people in Boise's early days.

John Tourtellotte Building

The John Tourtellotte Building at 210-222 N. 10th Street was listed in 1982. John Tourtellotte was a very famous architect who designed many important buildings in Boise and Idaho.

Historic Schools in Boise

Several old school buildings in Boise are also on the Register, showing how education grew in the area.

Boise High School

The Boise High School Campus on Washington Street, between 9th and 11th Streets, was listed in 1982. It's one of the oldest and most well-known high schools in Idaho.

Boise Junior High School

The Boise Junior High School at 1105 N. 13th Street was listed in 1982. It's now known as North Junior High.

Longfellow School

The Longfellow School at 1511 N. 9th Street was added in 1982. These old school buildings often have unique architectural styles.

Lowell School

The Lowell School at 1507 N. 28th Street was listed in 1982.

Garfield School

The Garfield School at 1914 Broadway Avenue was listed in 1982.

Roosevelt School

The Roosevelt School at 908 E. Jefferson Street was added in 1982.

Whitney School

The Whitney School at 1609 S. Owyhee Street was listed in 1982. This school was replaced by a new building in 2009.

Historic Churches and Religious Sites

Many churches and religious buildings are also recognized for their historical and architectural value.

Christ Chapel

Christ Chapel on Broadway at Campus Drive was listed in 1974. It's located on the Boise State University campus.

Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue

The Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue at 1102 State Street was listed in 1972. It's an important site for the Jewish community in Boise.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church

The Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church at 707 W. Fort Street was listed in 1976.

St. John's Cathedral

St. John's Cathedral at 8th and Hays Streets was listed in 1978. This beautiful cathedral is a major religious landmark in Boise.

St. Mary's Catholic Church

St. Mary's Catholic Church at State and 26th Streets was listed in 1982.

Other Interesting Boise Sites

Fort Boise

Fort Boise, located about 1.5 miles northeast of the State Capitol, was listed in 1972. This was an important military post in Idaho's history.

Old Idaho State Penitentiary

The Old Idaho State Penitentiary at 2200 Warm Springs Avenue was listed in 1974. This historic prison operated for over 100 years and is now a museum.

Union Pacific Mainline Depot

The Union Pacific Mainline Depot at 1701 Eastover Terrace was listed in 1974. This grand train station was once a busy hub for travel and trade.

Capitol Boulevard Memorial Bridge

The Capitol Boulevard Memorial Bridge crosses the Boise River and was listed in 1990. Bridges are important parts of our history, showing how people traveled and connected places.

Reclamation Service Boise Project Office

The Reclamation Service Boise Project Office at 214 Broadway Avenue was listed in 2010. This office played a key role in developing irrigation projects that helped farming grow in Idaho.

South Boise Fire Station

The South Boise Fire Station at 1011 Williams Street was listed in 1982. It's a historic building that served the community by protecting it from fires.

Historic Places in Other Ada County Cities

Eagle

The city of Eagle also has some historic places.

Aiken's Hotel

The Aiken's Hotel at 99 E. State Street was listed in 1982. This old hotel was likely a central gathering spot in early Eagle.

O. F. Short House

The O. F. Short House, located west of Eagle on State Highway 44, was listed in 1980.

Meridian

Meridian has its own share of historic buildings.

Meridian Exchange Bank

The Meridian Exchange Bank at 109 E. 2nd Street was listed in 1982. Like the Boise City National Bank, this building shows the financial history of Meridian.

Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company Building

The Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company Building at 815 N. Main Street was listed in 2008. This building played a role in the history of communication in Meridian.

Kuna

Kuna also has a few historic spots.

Boise City-Silver City Road-Fick Property Segment

The Boise City-Silver City Road-Fick Property Segment at 3232 W. Kuna-Mora Road was listed in 1999. This segment is part of an old road that connected Boise to the mining town of Silver City.

Historic Districts

Sometimes, a whole area or neighborhood is considered historic because it has many important buildings or tells a big story. These are called "Historic Districts."

Boise Capitol Area District

The Boise Capitol Area District was listed in 1976. This district includes the Idaho State Capitol building and the area around it, which is important for Idaho's government history.

Boise Historic District

The Boise Historic District was listed in 1977. This district covers parts of downtown Boise, including 5th and 6th Streets, and both sides of Idaho and Main Streets. It's a great place to see many different historic buildings together.

Fort Street Historic District

The Fort Street Historic District was listed in 1982. It's roughly bounded by Fort, State, 6th, and 16th Streets, and contains many historic homes and buildings.

Harrison Boulevard Historic District

The Harrison Boulevard Historic District was listed in 1980. This district features an irregular pattern along Harrison Boulevard, known for its beautiful historic homes.

Hyde Park Historic District

The Hyde Park Historic District was listed in 1982. It includes both sides of N. 13th Street between Alturas and Brumback Streets, a charming neighborhood with many historic houses.

Warm Springs Avenue Historic District

The Warm Springs Avenue Historic District was listed in 1980. This district is famous for its homes that were heated by natural hot springs!

Historic Natural and Engineering Sites

Not all historic places are buildings. Some are natural sites or important engineering projects.

Diversion Dam and Deer Flat Embankments

The Diversion Dam and Deer Flat Embankments are located southeast of Boise on the Boise River. This site was listed in 1976 and is an important part of the area's irrigation history, helping to bring water to farms.

Oregon Trail (Ada County Segment)

A segment of the famous Oregon Trail about 2 miles southeast of Boise, continuing southeast for 8 miles, was listed in 1972. This historic trail was used by pioneers traveling west in the 1800s.

Swan Falls Dam and Power Plant

The Swan Falls Dam and Power Plant is located east of Murphy on the Snake River. Listed in 1976, this dam was one of the earliest hydroelectric power plants in Idaho, generating electricity from water power.

Former Listings

Sometimes, a place is removed from the National Register, often because it was destroyed or changed too much.

Overland Building

The Overland Building at 8th and Main Streets in Boise was listed in 1978 but removed in 1987. It was originally a four-story building that opened in 1905, with two more stories added later. It was renamed the Eastman Building in 1926. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire in 1987 and then torn down.

St. Alphonsus Hospital

The original St. Alphonsus Hospital at 508 N. 5th Street was listed in 1976 but removed in 1977. The hospital, built in 1902, was vacated in 1972. There were plans to restore it, but after it was damaged by a suspected fire in 1976, it was torn down.

Images for kids

• 

  Walter Abbs House

• 

  Alexander House

• 

  Alexanders

• 

  Marion Allsup House

• 

  Anduiza Hotel

• 

  Artesian Water Co. Pumphouse and Wells

• 

  Barber Dam and Lumber Mill

• 

  Boise High School Campus

• 

  Boise Historic District

• 

  Boise Junior College Administration Building

• 

  Boise Junior High School

• 

  Boulevard Mo-tel

• 

  Brunzell House

• 

  H. H. Bryant Garage

• 

  H. C. Burnett House

• 

  Carnegie Public Library

• 

  Chinese Odd Fellows Building

• 

  Christian Church

• 

  Henry Coffin House

• 

  Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue

• 

  John Daly House

• 

  Dr. James Davies House

• 

  R. K. Davis House

• 

  Dry Creek Rockshelter

• 

  Minnie Preist Dunton House

• 

  Eichelberger Apartments

• 

  Alva Fleharty House

• 

  Fort Boise

• 

  Friedline Apartments

• 

  GAR Hall

• 

  Garfield School

• 

  Anton Goreczky House

• 

  John Green Mausoleum

• 

  Guernsey Dairy Milk Depot

• 

  Guffey Butte – Black Butte Archeological District

• 

  Harrison Boulevard Historic District

• 

  Hopffgarten House

• 

  Hyde Park Historic District

• 

  Idaho Building

• 

  Idaho National Guard Armory

• 

  Idaho State Forester's Building

• 

  Idanha Hotel

• 

  Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church

• 

  Immanuel Methodist Episcopal Church

• 

  Cyrus Jacobs House

• 

  W. E. Jefferson House

• 

  J. M. Johnson House

• 

  T. J. Jones Apartments

• 

  Kieldson Double House

• 

  Joseph Kinney Mausoleum

• 

  Longfellow School

• 

  Lowell School

• 

  Lower Main Street Commercial Historic District

• 

  Willis Mickle House

• 

  Moore–Cunningham House

• 

  Morris Hill Cemetery Mausoleum

• 

  Daniel F. Murphy House

• 

  Ninth Street Bridge

• 

  John A. O'Farrell Cabin

• 

  John A. O'Farrell House

• 

  Old Idaho State Penitentiary

• 

  Oregon Trail

• 

  Charles Paynton House

• 

  Pierce-Borah House

• 

  Reclamation Service Boise Project Office

• 

  John Regan American Legion Hall

• 

  Fred Reiger Houses

• 

  Roosevelt School

• 

  Rosedale Odd Fellows Temple

• 

  St. Alphonsus' Hospital Nurses' Home and Heating Plant/Laundry

• 

  St. John's Cathedral

• 

  St. Mary's Catholic Church

• 

  South Eighth Street Historic District

• 

  Almon W. and Dr. Mary E. Spaulding Ranch

• 

  State Street Historic District

• 

  Louis Stephan House

• 

  Swan Falls Dam and Power Plant

• 

  John Tourtellotte Building

• 

  Bishop Daniel S. Tuttle House

• 

  Union Block and Montandon Buildings

• 

  Union Pacific Mainline Depot

• 

  Warm Springs Avenue Historic District

• 

  C. H. Waymire Building

• 

  Edward Welch House

• 

  Wellman Apartments

• 

  Zurcher Apartments

• 

  Overland Building