Stop Fourteen: 8th and Main

At this stop in the walking tour, you will learning about the Lemp Block/Capitol Hotel, the First National Bank building, the Pioneer building, Falk's Mercantile, and the Eastman building. If you lived in Boise in the 1990s, you might recall that the empty lot that was once home to the Eastman building was commonly referred to as "the hole."

LEMP BLOCK/CAPITOL HOTEL (Between 8th and 9th Street, South side - Now Wells Fargo)

John Lemp built the Capitol Hotel in 1881. It offered 120 rooms, hot and cold water in the bathrooms, electric lights, and service bells. He was also one of the first German settlers in Boise. Lemp opened a brewery, was a member of the Turnverein Society, served one year as mayor and twenty years on city council, and had real estate and mining interests. 

FIRST NATIONAL BANK (SW Corner - Now Costa Vida)

The First National Bank Building of Idaho was constructed in 1901 as the new home for Idaho’s first bank. In a move to restore confidence during Boise’s bank crisis in August 1932, the First National Bank hung a sign that said, “If you want your money, come and get it.”

The building was demolished in 1972 as part of a planned urban renewal project to build an enclosed shopping mall.

PIONEER BUILDING (SE Corner - Now Main Street Station)

The Pioneer building, constructed by Frank Coffin in 1894, took the place of an older building Coffing built in 1863-64. Before tearing the first building down, Coffin held a celebration for all the “pioneers” who had come to Boise before 1866. The celebration included a dinner of baked beans, cold ham, bread and butter and coffee.

Later, the building was covered with aluminum skidding in an attempt to “update” the façade. This section of the street was known as Boise’s “Skid Row.” 

FALKS (NE Corner - Now Main Market Place)

Falk’s Mercantile was built on the northeast corner in 1888, with an addition in 1896. Falk’s was founded by Nathan Falk, a Bavarian immigrant who came to Boise in 1866. Goods came to Falk’s via a pack train, and later by railroad. The store quickly became a major, and popular, supplier for the community in groceries, clothing, furnishings, and shoes.

The Falk’s building remained a staple in the community until it was demolished in the 1970s.

EASTMAN BUILDING (NW Corner - Now Zions Bank building)

The Overland House, constructed in 1864, was a major gathering place for visitors and residents alike. Brothers Hosea and Benjamin Eastman worked together to supply water to the building, founding the “Artesian Water and Land Improvement Company.”

The Overland Building replaced the Overland House after it was demolished in 1904. Designed by Tourtellotte & Co., the new Renaissance Revival building had four floors. In 1910, an addition expanded the building to six.

Renamed the Eastman Building in 1927, the structure fell into disrepair during urban renewal. A large fire destroyed the building in 1987.

Arthur A. Hart. Historic Boise: An Introduction to the Architecture of Boise, Idaho, 1863-1938. 1993 Reprint, (Boise, ID: Historic Idaho, Inc. 1979).