Assessor’s records estimate construction around 1910, though earlier sources suggest 1908. The property comprises Lots 1 and 2 of Block 17 in Brumback’s Addition Amended, platted in 1892 by developer Brumback. The 1989 Boise City Historic Survey identified the residence as
the Francis Sanders House and dated it to 1908. A 1908 Idaho Statesman advertisement lists Francis C. Sanders as a seller of building materials, providing circumstantial evidence of his involvement in construction activity during that year.
This Queen Anne Cottage is defined by its steeply pitched front-gabled roof with a subordinate shed-roof extension enclosing a sun porch on the north elevation. The front gable is finished in alternating diamond and fish-scale shingle coursing with a centered starburst-muntined window that accentuates the decorative surface treatment. A full-width porch with paired classical columns and stone steps frames the paneled wood entry door, while narrow clapboard siding unites the lower wall surfaces. The enclosed sun porch, likely an early twentieth-century addition, features grouped multi-light windows that match the home’s period detailing. This style gained popularity in Boise during the 1890s and early 1900s as prosperous residents on Harrison Boulevard expressed individuality and craftsmanship through picturesque rooflines, textured surfaces, and detailed woodwork.
Ownership records show that in April 1907 L.H. and Emma J. Cox sold the property to Francis C. Sanders. By July 1908, Francis C. and Joveta I. Sanders conveyed it to Esther A. Poad. City directories from 1911 and 1912 list Francis Sanders residing at 1017 Harrison and employed by Ruby Creek Lumber Company, while Esther Poad remained at the address through at least 1915 before relocating to Butte, Montana by 1918. It remains unclear whether Sanders built the residence as a speculative project or for personal occupancy prior to its transfer to Poad.
This home was featured on PI’s 2025 Heritage Homes Tour