Pierce–Borah House Explained

Pierce–Borah House
Location:Branstetter Street, Garden City, Idaho
Coordinates:43.6589°N -116.3025°W
Map Label:Pierce–Borah House
Built:1897
Architect:John E. Tourtellotte
Architecture:Gothic/Queen Anne
Added:January 3, 1983
Refnum:83000257

The Pierce–Borah House is a historic building in Garden City, Idaho. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the house was among the earliest designed by prominent Idaho architect John E. Tourtellotte. It was completed in 1897 and originally located at 11th and Franklin Streets, in nearby Boise.[1]

The house was commissioned by Boise entrepreneur Walter E. Pierce but was sold in 1898 to William Borah, later a prominent United States Senator. Pierce had sold another of his houses to Borah in 1893.[2] In 1959, the house was purchased by Vernon K. Smith and moved from its original location to the present site, in a rural area west of downtown Garden City.[3]

Although the house was described as being in "excellent condition" in a 1982 report,[1] it appears to have since fallen into disrepair.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pierce–Borah House. Inventory Sheet for Group Nominations: Tourtellotte and Hummel Architecture. Idaho State Historical Society. 2 October 2013.
  2. News: Telegraphic Brevities . Idaho Statesman . Boise, Idaho . February 10, 1893 . 1.
  3. Web site: Victoria Smith Obituary. Tributes.com. 2 October 2013.