In April of 1938 Robert Newhouse filed for a building permit to construct a dwelling at
1111 Harrison Boulevard for $9,300. Though unconfirmed, it’s likely that the striking Tudor
Revival home was designed by architect Jedd Jones, an architect who socialized with the
Newhouses. Jones went on to join the Hummel firm after World War II and was responsible
for much of that firm’s residential work. His design for this site is quintessentially Tudor
Revival, an architectural style noted for its picturesque application of design elements
borrowed from medieval English houses. This example is characterized by asymmetrical
massing dominated by a steeply-pitched gabled projection finished in buff brick that is
flanked by gabled and shed-roofed dormers treated with faux half-timbering. Ornamental
half-timbering is more prevalent on the side and rear elevations while leaded glass windows
with a diamond pattern and a soaring double chimney complete the Tudor Revival elements
of the façade. In 1979 the front-facing attached garage right of the entry was enclosed and
remodeled for additional living space.
In July of 1938 the Idaho Statesman reported that the Newhouse family would move into
their completed home in September and in November complimented it as “one of the city’s
most charming houses.” The reporter went on to note that many of the primary rooms in
the house were painted in complimentary varied shades of blue which were adeptly suited
to the owner’s collection of antiques.
Robert Newhouse was born in Boise in 1911, the son of banker and investor C.D. Newhouse.
Having graduated from Kuna High School, Robert attended the University of Idaho where
he was elected student body president and met his wife, Margaret Good. Margaret was a
native of southern California with deep Idaho roots. Upon their graduation and return to
Kuna, Robert worked in his father’s bank before moving his young family to the house at
1111 Harrison. Newhouse owned several gas stations as a franchisee of the Richfield Oil
Company. Later careers on the Boise Bench in real estate development and dairying followed.
Margaret was active in Boise society with membership in the Junior League and Hillcrest
Country Club. Margaret and Robert died in Boise in 1998 and 2002 respectively
*This home was featured on the 2014 Heritage Homes tour by Preservation Idaho. To learn more, click here.