Idaho State Historic Preservation Office

A Summer of Gardening...

The Assay Office Garden Club has been hard at work this spring and summer in our exterior garden beds! The team has tackled voracious Virginia Creeper, eager English Ivy, and removed years of inanimate Iris. Thank you to Denise, Cindy, Connie, CS, Debby, Cindy, and everyone so far who has volunteered their time to keep our grounds looking gorgeous.

The Garden Club will meet again tomorrow, Thursday, June 25th at 8:30AM. Drop by and join us or email Dan at [email protected] to join.

Thank you Jason!

Today is the final day at the SHPO for Dr. Jason Tippeconnic Fox.

For five years, Jason has been an indispensable member of our team as the National Register and Federal Tax Incentive Coordinator. Jason brought to Idaho an encyclopedic knowledge of the architecture of the United States. During his tenure he has added a comprehensive understanding of this state’s history and the built environment which both makes the Gem State unique and ties it to the national context.

Jason has increased the quality and quantity of the state’s nominations – a superlative noted by Idaho’s reviewer at the National Park Service. While justifiably proud of the dozens of Idaho places he has helped list in the National Register, Jason also deserves credit for the contributions he made to the Art of Deco exhibit at the Idaho State Museum and his work to facilitate and accession architectural collections at the Idaho State Archives, including Tourtellotte and Hummel, Trout Architects, and the papers of Jack Smith, FAIA. During the past several years, Jason has worked closely with the dean and faculty of the College of Art and Architecture at the University of Idaho to establish a Historic Preservation Certificate Program, which will offer its first courses in Fall 2026.

Outside the office Jason has served as a board member for Preservation Idaho and is known nationally for his contributions to growing scholarship in Native American architectural history. As Founding Co-Chair of the Society of Architectural Historians Indigenous Architecture Affiliate Group, Jason has published and edited publications, chaired panels at international conferences, and facilitated a nationwide dialogue on this emerging field.

Jason leaves Idaho to join the staff of the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office.

Jason is intelligent, funny, and kind. He is knowledgeable without being stuffy. He is a passionate preservationist and a compassionate friend. His departure is a loss to the Idaho SHPO – to our work and to our closeknit team of bright, caring professionals.

Original inhabitants to once again return to Boise Valley...

Descendants of the original Boise Valley People will return to their homelands for the Fifteenth Annual Return of the Boise Valley People event and it begins with a welcoming ceremony that is open to the public Thursday, June 18 at 6 p.m. at Boise City Hall that includes tribal leaders and Boise City Council President Pro Tem Meredith Stead. (Mayor Lauren McLean has a previous engagement).

On Friday, June 19, the public is invited to share in the culture of the original Boise Valley people starting at 10 a.m. at Eagle Rock Park in Boise. The tribes will have informational booths set up. Some will present traditional foods or crafts. At 11 a.m. a land back presentation to the Original Boise Valley People will be announced.

The tribes will gather to share stories and remember their ancestors who were forcibly removed by soldiers from the Boise Valley in the late 1800’s when silver and gold were discovered. Eagle Rock Park, where Eagle Rock is located, is a spiritual gathering place for tribal people and many return to offer prayers for ancestors who are buried at the site.

The eventual tribal goal is to build a cultural center in Boise so people will know the true history of the original inhabitants of the area.

Descendants of the original Boise Valley are from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Fort Hall, Idaho; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, Owyhee Nevada; Burns Paiute Tribe, Burns, Oregon; Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, McDermitt, Nevada and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Warm Springs, Oregon.

Original Boise Valley People remind those who currently inhabit Boise our ancestors remains are buried throughout the area so be conscious when building or developing and be respectful.

“Return of the Boise Valley People,” event is scheduled June 18 to 21 in Boise at Eagle Rock Park and Gowen Field.

The first event was in August of 2011 when over 400 people gathered. The 2026 event is in consultation with the Idaho National Guard.

For more information contact Lori Ann Edmo at 208-680-7357 or Louise Dixey at 208-690-0446.

Signs of Change Are Among Us…

This year’s Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month posters are in!

Thank you to Jany Rae Seda and Evermore Prints for the amazing artwork and graphic design work for this poster.

FREE posters are available as supplies last. Come visit us at the Assay Office and pick one up in person between the hours of 10am and 4pm on weekdays only.

Thanks is also owed to Sharon from the Idaho State Historical Society who put so much time and effort into restoring our historic Bulletin case. Swipe to see what it looked like before.

National Register Nominations Moving Forward...

At the end of May, the Idaho Historic Sites Review Board met in Boise to consider nine nominations to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Board also toured historic properties in Boise, including the Assay Office, Neon Grove, Boise High School, Lowell Pool, and the River Street Neighborhood.

During the business meeting, all nominations were voted to move forward to the Keeper of the National Register. Following the Keeper's approval, these nominations will officially be added to the NRHP.

The nominations include:
Historic Agricultural Properties of Cougar Gulch, Kootenai County, Idaho 1888-1976
Carousel Tree Farm, Coeur d’Alene (vicinity), Kootenai County
Parma State Bank, Parma, Canyon County
Weiser High School Gymnasium & Auditorium, Weiser, Washington County
Evergreen Grange Hall, Lenore (vicinity), Clearwater County
Shoshone County Poor Farm, Silverton, Shoshone County
Caldwell Municipal Rose Garden, Caldwell, Canyon County
Bovill Historic Commercial District, Bovill, Latah County
University of Idaho Historic District, Moscow, Latah County

Congratulations to all of those who contributed to the nominations and advocated for historic properties. Thank you to the Historic Sites Review Board for donating their time during this process.

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. The program is managed in partnership between the National Park Service and the Idaho SHPO. For more information, go to history.idaho.gov/nrhp.

WE'VE GOT SPIRIT - YES WE DO!

Please join us in welcoming the City of Spirit Lake as Idaho’s newest Certified Local Government (CLG)!

Spirit Lake has demonstrated a strong commitment to historic preservation through efforts such as developing a Historic Preservation Plan. Becoming a CLG is an important milestone that strengthens local preservation efforts while creating new opportunities for partnership, training, and funding.

SHPO is excited to continue working alongside Spirit Lake in this new, certified partnership.

Congratulations Spirit Lake, we look forward to seeing all that you accomplish!

How 'bout you? To find out more about our CLG program, see our website: https://history.idaho.gov/clg/

Idaho has a New Historic Preservation Plan!

On this final day of Idaho Archaeology & Historic Preservation Month, we are excited to announce the publication of Idaho's Historic Preservation Plan for 2026-2036! This statewide plan helps guide historic preservation efforts over the next 10 years by identifying key goals, priorities, and objectives for protecting and celebrating Idaho's historic places and cultural heritage.

From historic downtowns and archaeological sites to community landmarks and rural resources, this plan helps shape the future of preservation in Idaho.

Thank you to author Patricia Nilsson and all of the partners, organizations, Tribes, local communities, and preservation advocates who helped contribute to this important effort. Through statewide survey and dozens of meetings across the Gem State, Idahoans provided critical guidance that made this document possible.

To read the plan:https://history.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/SHPO-HPP-2026_Final.pdf

A successful day at CAMP...

Last week, the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office partnered with the Coeur d’Alene Historic Preservation Commission and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) to host the 2026 Commission Assistance & Mentoring Program (CAMP) Training in Coeur d’Alene!

Participants learned about a variety of preservation-related topics, including 'Why Preserve? Understanding the value of historic preservation', standards and guidelines for design review, legal basics for preservation commissions, and community engagement and building public support.

A huge thank you to NAPC trainers Abbey Christman and Chris Cody, as well as Pat Baird, the Nez Perce Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Jill Wagner, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, for sharing their knowledge and helping lead a great day of preservation training and discussion.

We also want to thank the City of Coeur d’Alene and everyone who attended for helping to make this event such a success. It was great to see so many CLGs come together.

We look forward to seeing everyone next year in Idaho Falls for the 2027 CAMP Training!

Idaho's Historic Sites Review Board Meets THIS SATURDAY!

On Saturday, May 30th, the Idaho Historic Sites Review Board will meet in Boise at 1:00 PM at the Idaho History Center (2205 E Old Penitentiary Road). This meeting is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

The board will consider nine voting nominations during the meeting. These include:
Historic Agricultural Properties of Cougar Gulch, Kootenai County, Idaho 1888-1976
Carousel Tree Farm, Coeur d’Alene (vicinity), Kootenai County
Parma State Bank, Parma, Canyon County
Weiser High School Gymnasium & Auditorium, Weiser, Washington County
Evergreen Grange Hall, Lenore (vicinity), Clearwater County
Shoshone County Poor Farm, Silverton, Shoshone County
Caldwell Municipal Rose Garden, Caldwell, Canyon County
Bovill Historic Commercial District, Bovill, Latah County
University of Idaho Historic District, Moscow, Latah County

For more information, and to join virtually via Zoom, visit https://history.idaho.gov/nrhp/historic-sites-review-board/.

Did you catch us on the news last night?

Outreach Historian Dan Everhart spoke to KTVB about concerns over historic tree removal at Boise's VA Medical Center (VAMC) Campus. The VAMC consulted with our office through the Section 106 process before they began their project to construct a new medical center on the National Register-listed campus.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) plays a vital and legally mandated role in the implementation of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966. As the official state-level partner in the nation’s historic preservation program, SHPO gives local voice to federal action and is responsible for reviewing and commenting on projects that may affect historic properties while making use of federal lands, monies, or permits. The SHPO provides professional expertise and guidance to help identify historic properties, assess project impacts, and explore alternatives that avoid, minimize, or mitigate harm.

The placement of the new Medical Center resulted in an Adverse Effect to historic properties, diminishing the setting and feeling of the Campus. The VAMC will ultimately mitigate these impacts with a tree re-planting plan and a new interpretive trail that will discuss the history of the Campus.

Check it out: https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-va-medical-centers-expansion-alter-historic-fort-boise-site/277-498ad609-94ed-49cf-8568-d4beecb15249