Property Type: Residential
Neighborhood: North End  |  County: Ada  |  Building Status: Private  |  Architectural Style: Spanish Mission Revival
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The Rogers/Hanson house is located at 918 N. 18th St. in the North End of Boise. It was constructed in 1924 in the Spanish Mission Revival style, but two additional rooms were added to the back of the house within the last 15 years.

The architect is unknown, but there have been many different occupants in the building since it’s initial construction. The first city directory listing for 918 N 18th St. was for Elmer Rogers and his wife Jessie. They lived in the house from 1936 until 1962, when Stewart and Enid Hamilton moved into the house, which they lived in for 6 years. After they moved out in 1968, Jack and Elizabeth Marshall moved in. Jack was employed as the VP for Union Plumbing and Heating. When they moved out in 1974, James H. Ziegenfuss and his wife Susan moved in and lived in the house for 3 years.

The house sat vacant from 1978-1979. In 1980, the Vice Principal of North Junior High at the time, Stanley Horton moved in with his wife Ann, who was a teacher at Borah High School. They lived in the house together until 1989, when they separated and Stanley moved to a new home. The 90s were a time of changing hands for the home, as 4 different owners bought and sold the house during the decade. Finally the house was sold to Tim Mitchell and Kristy Echevarria in 2000. Tim and Kristy made the house their own with two new additions to the back of the house, one of which was a master bedroom. They lived in the house until Sharon Hanson purchased the house in 2012.
When the house was constructed in 1924, Boise was a booming city, like cities in much of the nation. With the boom comes expansion. Areas like the North End were developing. The 20’s were a revival period in our architecture.

The two main forms of revival were Egyptian revival and Spanish mission revival. This house with its Stucco siding, arcaded entry porch, and once red tile covered roof make it a part of the Spanish Mission Revival. It was a transitional time in Boise architecture and we see elements remnant of the former influences. Such would be the dark wood and other Queen Anne interior elements of style. Also in this time, leaded glass was still popular in use, and many of the windows in this house today are original.

This house is very much a North End house, which is defined by the use of alleyways, as garages in the front of the house did not become popular until post-World War II. Because of this characteristic, we see a large carriage house in the back yard. This was also built in the same style as the house. In context to the neighborhood, however, this house did not quite fit in. It was surrounded by a multitude of Queen Annes, Bungalows, and Neo-Classical structures. The Spanish Mission Style stood out. But that is what makes the North End special. All these different styles can come together on the same streets and some how still work. They all manage to be unique homes, while being congruent.

The 1920s in Boise were a time of technologic advances in transportation. In 1925 Boise was added to the Union Pacific Mainline. A year later, the original Boise airport was constructed, and in 1928, buses replaced the electric streetcars that had presided over Boise streets for years. This influx of transportation to the Boise area obviously contributed to a growing number of people coming in and out of the valley regularly. New styles were being brought from other places of the country. The Spanish Mission Revival Style of this particular house is an example of such styles, because it was a fashion predominantly found in the Southwestern United States. It was a relic from a time of prosperity in the United States, a time that would soon come to an abrupt end in the form of the Stock Market Crash of 1929, and the subsequent Great Depression.

The troubles of the country were seen in a microcosm in Boise, as this house was vacant from 1934-1935. The Works Progress Administration was placing art deco buildings throughout the west, including a few in Boise. The contrast between 1920s and 1930s buildings in Boise was staggering. This house is a good reminder of the Roaring Twenties in the City of Trees, and that is why it has been included in the National Register of Historic Places.

References:
Past owner records belonging to previous owner
Sharon Hanson (current owner)