The Boise City National Bank Building is of Richardsonian Romanesque Revival style architecture. The outside of the building is made of sandstone quarried from Table Rock in the Boise Foothills. The sandstone walls are twenty-four inches thick. They took the first bank building down and used original stones from the first floor to build the first floor of the second bank on Eighth Street and Idaho Street. The second bank building is a four-story sand stone structure. The main vault door is 15 tons which is heavier than a Blue Whale.
The Boise City National Bank Building is also known as the Simplot Building. Tourtellotte and Hummel remodeled the banking area in 1913. Marble teller cages, ornamental plaster ceiling beams and cornices, marble-encased columns, and marble floors were part of this renovation. There are still some of these renovation elements in the Simplot Building. The bank was named in 1914.
The bank is now located at 805 West Idaho Street. The first location of the building was finished being built on May 3, 1886 and was located on the corner of Main and Seventh. The second building was finished being built in 1890-1891. The height was 55 x 122 feet with the new addition. The 1906 architectural style of the new addition looked nearly the same as the original design. In the 1900s they put in three more floors so then there were four floors. The fourth floor ended the original 1980s structure and the third story has arched windows with extrados moldings that look like eyebrows.
The man who built the Simplot Building was a Montana architect named James King. He was important to Boise as an architect. The bank trustees originally asked for the bank to be built for $13,000. Mr. King built the building for $40,000. On May 17, 1928 they took out the trolley next to the building. The Boise City National Bank closed on August 1, 1932 forever because of the Great Depression. Four days before the bank closed, lots of people went to get what was left of their money but many didn’t get any of the remaining money. They closed the vault when they closed the bank.
The Fork Restaurant and attorneys offices are in the building today. Doughty’s Bistro, Idaho Power, First Security Bank, Boise Water Corporation, Perpetual Metals Jewelry Shop, a mineral gallery the Surveyor General, the Boise Commercial Club, and a furniture company were located in the building in the past. Hanson’s Real Estate Company was in the basement where the main vault is now. Inside the building are also pictures of the original Bank building.
The Boise City National Bank building has been at the second location for one hundred twenty two years. This building has been renovated several times since the 1980s by several different people.
By Aiden Nesser, Collister Elementary: Mrs. Allen 3rd grade