Old Idaho Penitentiary & Hummel
The Old Idaho Penitentiary is one of Boise’s most unique tourist attractions due to its fascinating history and reputation as one of Idaho’s most haunted locations. While the thousands of inmates that once lived within the prison’s walls provide us with many unique stories, the site that was in operation for 101 years is rich […]
Tourtellotte, the building, not the man
From our Boise office, you can look down and see a whimsically painted yellow building with coral-colored pilasters and a colorful frieze of swags and discs. Home to @RepopGifts, @LemonTreeBoise, and other businesses, this downtown Boise building is a “one-story stucco reinforced concrete commercial building…at the intersection of Tenth and Bannock streets.“ The National Historic […]
Hummel in Weiser
The history of Hummel Architects in Weiser, Idaho spans back to the turn of the last century beginning with Charles Hummel. In 1894, Charles found prospective clients in Weiser after visiting the city, before professionally partnering with John E. Tourtellotte in 1895. (1) Through this connection, Tourtellotte & Hummel (under various names) continued to design […]
Alexander Building
“Former mayor and governor Moses Alexander erected this “big white store” at the corner of Ninth and Main Streets in 1924 after two terms as governor. The white, terra-cotta surface is weather resistant. The owner traveled east to gather input from professional architects, but Tourtellotte and Hummel’s design included plush exterior fabric materials of imported […]
Wellman Apartments
Throughout Boise’s history, the need for affordable housing near the downtown core has always been a constant. Throughout our 125 year history, Hummel has designed many multi-family apartments that continue to house workers, students, and families. The Wellman Apartments at 5th & Washington Street in downtown Boise “offered accommodations to single persons in individual efficiency […]
Elks Building
For today’s #TBT we feature the Elks Temple, or Elks Building located at the corner of 9th & Jefferson in downtown Boise. “The Elks Temple is a four-story brick building in a modified Italian palazzo style. It is five bays wide and distinguished by its Boise sandstone trim and large cornice with geometric decorative elements that seem […]