Carnegie Public Library, Boise

The Carnegie Public Library opened in 1905 as the city鈥檚 first publicly funded library. Supported by a $20,000 grant from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie鈥攎atched by local funding and the advocacy of the Columbia Club women鈥攊t served as a center of learning and public access to information. Designed in the refined Neoclassical/Renaissance Revival style by Tourtellotte & Company, this dignified structure symbolized Boise鈥檚 growing civic and cultural aspirations at the turn of the 20th century.

The two-story building, featuring local white brick and a sandstone foundation sourced nearby from Table Rock, is distinguished by a projecting central pavilion, arched windows with keystones, and a pedimented gable above the main entrance. In 1914, a rear addition brought a stack room and auditorium space to support the library鈥檚 expanding role in the community. For nearly seven decades, until 1973, this building was the heart of Boise鈥檚 public library system, before the library relocated to a larger facility.

After the library moved, the historic building was repurposed as offices. Occupied by law firms until about 2018, it remains a well-preserved example of early 20th鈥慶entury civic architecture and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and as part of the Fort Street Historic District in 1982. More recently, tech firm Ednetics acquired the property with intentions to rehabilitate it as an event and workspace center, aiming to restore key historic features such as WPA-era murals and original floor layouts.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Carnegie Public Library
Sight Location: Boise, USA (See walking tours in Boise)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Fort Street Historic District Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Boise, Idaho

Create Your Own Walk in Boise

Creating your own self-guided walk in Boise is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Fort Street Historic District Walking Tour

The Fort Street Historic District roughly comprises 47 blocks, situated primarily within the 1867 plat of Boise City original townsite, and forms part of a larger area known locally as Boise's North End Preservation District. Upon its nomination, in 1982, for the National Register of Historic Places, the Fort Street district contained 318 buildings.

Over the years, this neighborhood has... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles

Boise Introduction Walking Tour

For thousands of years the tree lined Boise River valley was home to the Shoshone people. They would meet here to trade with other tribes. The valley was congenial and the river full of salmon. It was a holy place for indigenous people.

The name "Boise" originated in the 1820s. The valley was thick with cottonwood trees. French Canadian trappers called it "La riviere boisee"... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles

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