Carnegie Public Library, Boise

Completed in 1905, this large, beige brick building was designed by Boise architects Tourtellotte and Company as the city's first library thanks to local donations and a matching grant from Andrew Carnegie. The Boise Public Library opened in the French Renaissance style building in 1905, ten years after it began as a subscription service. The library moved to another building in April 1973 and the former library was converted into office spaces. Legal offices vacated the building in 2017 and the structure has been vacant since then. There are no definite plans, but one idea was to convert the building into spaces for art studios. The Carnegie Library, Boise was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and also is part of the Fort Street Historic District.

Library services in the city of Boise originated from a group of women in the Columbian Club, In 1895, the group began operating a subscription readers' service. The original books were kept in Boise City Hall in a free reading room. The growing city needed a more formal public library and began looking for funding near the turn of the twentieth century. Andrew Carnegie, the millionaire philanthropist who made his fortune in the steel industry, donated funds to hundreds of towns across America in the early twentieth century to be used toward constructing public libraries. Carnegie required the city to supply the land and funds for maintenance. Boise was gifted $20,000 after the state library commission, with the endorsement of Governor F. W. Hunt, applied to Carnegie in 1902 for a grant. The city contributed $4,000 toward the library building, and another $1,000 was donated by the Columbian Club. The land at Eighth and Washington Streets was donated by the school board.

A competition was held for the design of Boise's Carnegie Library; seventeen entries were received. Tourtelotte and Company, one of the four architectural firms from Boise who entered, was chosen. Coming in second was a Spokane, Washington firm, C. Z. Hubbell, followed by Campbell and Wayland of Boise. The beige pressed brick to construct the Carnegie Library was manufactured in Boise. The sandstone used to build the foundation was quarried locally from Table Rock, just east of the city. Even the men who constructed the building hailed from Boise, working for Michels and Weber, who was awarded the contract in July 1904. The projecting central bay with a pedimented gable holds double entry doors; to either side are three tall, arch-shaped windows. Rusticated stone arches above the windows contain keystones. The cornice is simple, with dentils; the roof is hipped.

The project took several months longer than expected but the building was finally done in May 1905. On May 1st, 1905, a celebration was held to mark the library's completion, with a grand ball and tours of the new building. The dedication ceremonies, originally scheduled for the following day, were postponed a day due to weather events. The main speaker at the dedication was Salt Lake City Judge C. C. Goodwin. The library first opened for service on June 22nd, 1905.

The building served as the Boise Public Library until 1973, when the library relocated to another Boise spot. Since April 27th, 1973, the library has been situated in Boise's Salt Lake Hardware Building, constructed in 1946. The City of Boise purchased the building, at 715 South Capitol Boulevard, and renovated it to become the new library; Boise Public Library continues to be in this spot. The former library building on Washington St. then was converted into private offices. The building was owned by William A. Hon Investment Company when it was documented for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Carnegie Library, Boise was listed in the National Register individually in 1974 and also as part of the Fort Street Historic District. The building is considered the best-preserved of the few Carnegie Libraries that survive in Idaho.

Legal offices vacated the building in 2017 and the structure was still vacant as of late 2022. The owners are still considering options, possible tenants, and business partners, but once considered converting the building into spaces for art studios. Swanby Investment Group stated that the hope is for the building to return to some use related to public learning.

Boise Public Library. History, Boise Public Library: About. January 1st, 2022. Accessed February 4th, 2023. https://www.boisepubliclibrary.org/about/history/.

Krutzig, Sally. "Want to live across the from Capitol? Old Boise building might be replaced with condos." Idaho Statesman (Boise) November 5th, 2022. online ed.

Renk, Nancy F. NRHP nomination of Carnegie Public Library, 815 Washington St., Bosie, Idaho. National Register. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1974.