Carnegie Public Library (Boise, Idaho)

Carnegie Public Library (Boise, Idaho)
The library in 2018
Location815 W. Washington St.
Boise, Idaho
Coordinates43°37′10″N 116°11′58″W / 43.61944°N 116.19944°W / 43.61944; -116.19944
Built1905
Built byMichels & Weber
ArchitectJohn E. Tourtellotte & Company
Architectural styleNeoclassical
Part ofFort Street Historic District (ID82000199)
NRHP reference No.74000725[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 21, 1974

The Carnegie Public Library (Boise, Idaho) is a Neoclassical building designed by Tourtellotte & Co. and constructed in Boise, Idaho, in 1904–1905.[2] It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 1982 it was included as a contributing property in the Fort Street Historic District.[3]

History

The Boise Public Library began in 1895 when members of the Columbian Club opened a subscription library and reading room in Boise City Hall.[4] When Boise received a grant in 1904 to build a Carnegie library, local architects John E. Tourtellotte and Charles F. Hummel won the design contract, and the local firm of Michels & Weber received the construction contract. Materials included white brick fired in Boise and sandstone from nearby Table Rock.[5] Boise's Carnegie Library opened June 22, 1905,[4] and Mary F. Wood became its first librarian.[6]

In 1973 the Boise Public Library moved to a larger building, formerly occupied by Salt Lake Hardware, at 715 S. Capitol Blvd., and in 1974 the Carnegie Library was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[4]

The building was occupied by a law firm until 2018 when it was repurposed for artists as studio space.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Nancy F. Renk (January 18, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Carnegie Library". National Park Service. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  3. ^ Susanne Lichtenstein (September 29, 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Fort Street Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "History". Boise Public Library. Archived from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  5. ^ "Huntley Law Firm: Boise Carnegie Library". Society of Architectural Historians. July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Special Project 1501 W Jefferson - Sturiale Place". CCDC Boise. Capital City Development Corp. Archived from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  7. ^ Oland, Dana (April 9, 2018). "This historic Downtown Boise building will get a new life this summer". Idaho Statesman.

Media related to Carnegie Library (Boise, Idaho) at Wikimedia Commons

Further reading

  • Boise, Frank E. Aden Jr., (Arcadia Publishing, 2015), pg. 86
  • Boise, Frank Thomason, (Arcadia Publishing, 2009), pg. 102