The Mode Building
The Mode Building stands at the north corner of 8th and Idaho in downtown Boise, Idaho. Completed in 1895, the building housed the Mode, Ltd., a high-end department store until 1991 when the store closed. Predecessor firm, Hummel, Hummel & Jones was hired in 1958 to rebuild and remodel the building after a fire destroyed […]
Flying the Friendly Skies
The Boise Municipal Airport as it looked in the 1950s. Note the complete lack of security, metal detectors, barriers, etc. … but plenty of ashtrays. Since commercial airfare was relatively new, airports were modeled after train and bus stations. Prior to 1969 the airport didn’t have a concourse, so passengers (and non-passengers) would walk directly […]
Better Homes and Gardens and Hummel
The Earl Zimmerman Home at 200 Jantoni Drive in Boise is a simple 1,209 SF home designed by Hummel, Hummel, and Jones in 1950. Better Homes & Gardens featured this efficient floorplan in the October 1953 issue as Five Star Home No. 2310. Following WWII, housing demands increased the need for simple, efficient homes that […]
The Story of the Model
Visitors to our Boise office will notice a scale model of a pink and flagstone mid-century ranch house on display. From the cedar shake roof to the half-round couch in the spacious living room, this model is intricately detailed to inspire Mad Men-era daydreams. But why is there a vintage model of a mid-century ranch […]
Tally Ho at the Owyhee Motor Inn
The Owyhee Hotel (1109 W. Main Street, Boise) was designed by Tourtellotte and Hummel in 1909 as Boise’s second grand hotel. An ad in the Idaho Statesman claimed the Owyhee as the “most modern and complete commercial and tourist hotel between Chicago and San Francisco. But by the late 1950s, tourists traveling by automobile preferred […]
E. W. Little Residence
Today’s #tbt is the distinctive mid-century modern home located at 1900 Harrison Blvd. This home was originally built for Mr. & Mrs. E. W. Little and their son, Jack in 1951. E. W. Little owned a sheet metal and roofing company. He and his wife were involved in civic and philanthropic activities. Designed by Hummel, Hummel & […]
Florence Eggers Residence
(Local History Sidenote: Their previous residence, Sleepy Hollow Farm in Meridian, was a working dairy farm she sold to Harold and Suzanne Agee. The Agees moved there with their children, Carolyn and Bill. Harold Agee served in the Idaho House from 1965 to 1879. As an adult, Bill later was the chairman, president, and CEO […]
Fred Lillge Residence
This home was built for Mr. & Mrs. Fred Lillge in the Randolph-Robertson subdivision in Boise’s Bench neighborhood. This home was completed in February 1955 for Mr. & Mrs. Fred Lillge and designed by Hummel, Hummel & Jones (a predecessor of Hummel Architects). The home was built by Emery S. Conner with C.M. Davison as […]
J. L. Driscoll Residence
J.L. Driscoll Residence at 1200 Happy Drive in Boise. This home was completed in September 1955 for J. Lynn and Rachael Driscoll and designed by Hummel, Hummel & Jones (a predecessor of Hummel Architects). The home was built by Emery S. Conner with C.M. Davison as Landscape Designer. This home is a gorgeous example of […]
First Security Bank, Downtown Boise
On Monday, December 17, 1956, Idaho Governor Robert E. Smylie officially opened the First Security Bank’s brand new $1.5 Million six-story building at Ninth and Idaho Streets in downtown Boise. After the official program of remarks and an invocation, the public was allowed to tour the new building throughout the week. Nearly 5,000 people visited […]