Skip to Navigation
Home
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Home
  • About
    • History & Mission
    • Officers & Board Members
    • Committees
    • Contact Us
  • Support Us
    • Join / Renew
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
    • Buy Notecards
  • Tours & Events
    • Calendar
    • ArchWalks
    • Heritage Homes Tour
    • Self-Guided Tours
    • Guided Tours
  • Advocacy
    • Historic Schools
    • Main Street in Idaho
    • Minidoka
    • Modernism
    • Sustainability
  • Programs
    • Orchids & Onions
    • Idaho History Time Machine
    • Scholarship
  • Resources
    • Links
    • Consultants
  • eNews

Tours & Events

  • Calendar
  • ArchWalks
  • Heritage Homes Tour
  • Self-Guided Tours
    • New Deal Architecture
      • Ada County Courthouse
      • Ada County Office Building
      • State Forestry Department
      • Boise Gallery of Art
      • Boise Junior College Campus
      • Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory
      • National Guard Armory
      • North Junior High
      • Sergeant City
  • Guided Tours
 
Home > Tours & Events > Self-Guided Tours > New Deal Architecture > Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory

Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory

PWA – 1939

Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, Boise

The Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory was constructed by the J.O. Jordan and Son construction firm of poured-in-place, reinforced concrete for $52,000. Though no architect has been identified for the Art Deco building, it is likely the work of a local firm. The Bureau of Highways, now the Idaho Transportation Department, used the facility to test the strength and composition of various materials which were used in highway construction.

Features to Note

  • Monumental entryway with decorative concrete details
  • Angular details below the windows and at the parapet
  • Faux rustication of the foundation

Photo Gallery

Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1939 - View southwest from Main Street
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1939 - View southeast from Main Street with framing in place for the concrete construction
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1939 - View northeast from 27th Street, removing the framing after the concrete has cured
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1939 - View southwest from Main Street before window installation
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1939 - View south from Main Street after window installation
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1939 - View southeast from Main Street with entry detail work under construction
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - View southeast from Main Street after completion
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - View east from 27th Street of entry after completion
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - View northeast from 27th Street after completion
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - Interior of lab upon completion
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - Interior of lab upon completion
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - Interior of lab upon completion
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - Interior of office upon completion
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - Unidentified lab worker with experimentation equipment
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - Russell Mann in the drafting room
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1940 - Lab workers identified as Hallvik and Turner in the hallway
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, 1946 - View southeast from Main Street after the installation of landscaping
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, April 2009 - Note the replacement of both windows and doors
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, April 2009
Idaho Bureau of Highways Materials Laboratory, April 2009 - Note that the doorway at right has been enclosed
in
  • New Deal Architecture
  • Home
  • About
  • Support Us
  • Tours & Events
  • Advocacy
  • Programs
  • Resources
  • eNews
© 2002-2010 Preservation Idaho
P.O. Box 1495, Boise, Idaho 83701-1495
tel: (208) 424-5111, fax: (208) 441-2842
info@preservationidaho.org