Preservation Idaho

Orchids & Onions Awards

Preservation Idaho is now accepting nominations for the 33rd Annual Orchids & Onions Awards.

Download the nomination form (pdf).
Nominations are due by April 2, 2010.

Since 1977, Preservation Idaho has hosted the annual Orchids & Onions Awards, a ceremony designed to celebrate those individuals and organizations that have made a positive contribution to historic preservation, and in turn, to bring awareness to those projects which have shown an insensitivity to historic preservation.

Join Preservation Idaho

Members are the backbone of our organization. Many of the programs and events we host, such as our popular Heritage Homes Tour, would not be possible without the continued financial support of our members.

Consider becoming a member of Preservation Idaho and get discounts for our summer ArchWalk series and a subscription to our monthly e-newsletter.

We offer a variety of membership levels and you can now pay online using PayPal!

Photo courtesy of the Idaho State Historical Society.

Idaho Capitol Restoration

The interior restoration/renovation has been completed at the Idaho Capitol!

Guided tours will be available after February 1, 2010. A self-guided tour is available for download (pdf) or at the Visitors Desk. More information about the Capitol restoration is available at www.capitolcommission.idaho.gov.

Photo © Eric Hunt

Boise High's Auditorium is Threatened!

Only weeks after completing the demolitions of Cole and Franklin elementary schools, the Boise School District (BSD) will decide the fate of yet another Boise landmark. Plans have been drawn to wrap three exterior elevations of the Boise High's auditorium in both vertically and horizontally oriented steel beams as part of seismic stabilization efforts. This concept, though not yet funded by the board of trustees, would most certainly damage the architectural integrity of this National Register-listed building.

New Deal Architecture Tour

Building Boise: A Tour of "New Deal" Architecture in Idaho's Capital City

In 1932, at the depths of the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt pledged himself to “a new deal for the American people.” As President, he introduced multiple new programs and agencies to relieve the unemployed, reform financial institutions, and promote the recovery of the economy. Federal programs including the Public Works Administration (PWA), Works Progress/Projects Administration (WPA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and later the Federal Works Agency (FWA) put the nation to work building needed infrastructure and improvements. The architectural results of these programs, often overlooked, stand today as a symbol of this amazing chapter in our collective history.

New Deal Architecture

Upcoming Events

March 11, 2010

Contractor Training for Historic Facade Restoration
March 23, 2010

Preservation Idaho Board Meeting
April 6, 2010

Preservation Idaho Board Meeting
May 1, 2010

Idaho Archaeological & Historic Preservation Month

Programs

Self-Guided Tours

Here you will find a collection of self-guided tours of historical sites and buildings throughout the state. Most are walking tours, but some of them might require the use of a bike or automobile to see all the tour highlights.

All tours are free to download as a PDF file. If you have a tour you would like to share with us, please email us at info@preservationidaho.org. Furthermore, if you have an idea for a tour, please let us know!

Tours & Events

ArchWalks

Sometimes it is difficult in today's fast paced world to take time to look at the buildings with which we interact every day. The ArchWalk program is designed to do just that. Learn more about the architecture, history and notoriety of Downtown buildings and neighborhoods each month during the summer.

Tours & Events