What Is the Chinese Odd Fellows Building?
This is the last surviving building in Boise’s Chinatown built by Tourtellotte & Hummel!
What Makes It Historical?
With the discovery of gold in the Boise Basin in the 1862, thousands of Chinese fortune seekers arrived in the capital city, gathering in Idaho’s first Chinatown, the largest in the intermountain area! Like many Chinatowns, the residents of this one were highly segregated, so to get their needs met, many Chinatown residents formed organizations called tongs. Some, joined other groups like the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F!)
Owing to the segregated nature of Chinatown, Chinese I.O.O.F. members couldn’t just join Lodge #3 a few blocks away! Instead, they had their own building, a recycled design by Tourtellotte & Hummel, constructed in the winter of 1911-12 for the price of $4,648 (over $139,000 now)! But as gold fever cooled, many of these Chinese families left Boise for other places along the Pacific coast. The Schmoeger family took over the old I.O.O.F. in 1949, transforming it into American Cleaning Services, while most of Boise’s Chinatown was bulldozed in the 1960s to make room for new skyscrapers.
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with the Idaho State Historical Society!
- Become a member of the Idaho State Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
610 W Front St
Boise, ID 83702
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Enjoy the outside any time you like, but there are no visitation hours or historical tours!