In 1910 Thomas K. Little commissioned the construction of a American Foursquare residence that remains a distinguished example of early twentieth-century domestic architecture in Boise. The two-story house, with its symmetrical façade, hipped roof, and originally full-width porch supporting an upper balcony, expresses the refinement and order characteristic of the style. Dentil molding beneath boxed eaves, paired French
doors, and a central hipped dormer emphasize the formal composition, while multi-light windows with operable shutters and paneled balustrades underscore the precision of its detailing. The Classical Revival movement, rooted in the American Colonial and Georgian revivals of the late nineteenth century, gained particular favor on Harrison Boulevard as Boise’s early elite sought architectural expressions of permanence, order, and civic pride. A red brick chimney on the south elevation and a matching rear garage reinforce the property’s early twentieth-century character.
The house is believed to have been designed by the Boise architectural firm Nisbet & Paradice, known for their refined civic and commercial works including the Empire Building and the Anduiza Hotel. The partnership, active in the 1910s, exemplified Boise’s architectural maturity during a period of economic optimism and civic development. Their design vocabulary often combined Classical proportion with subtle local adaptations, a balance evident in this residence’s disciplined geometry and domestic scale.
The first owner was Thomas Kinkaid Little, listed in the 1911 Boise City Directory as a mining professional. Thomas was born in Ireland and later became a prominent merchant. Census and genealogical records show that he and his wife Josephine lived with their daughter Anna Bell, who was married at the home to Harold Brownwell, whose later obituary noted that her father had served as mayor of Caldwell. The family’s tenure at this address reflects a period when Harrison Boulevard was emerging as Boise’s most desirable residential corridor, lined with homes expressing prosperity and civic confidence through architectural form and ornament. The John F. McMahon family resided in the home for nearly four decades, from 1934-1973. Though, according to The Friends of the Bishops’ House, Inc. Historic and Interesting Houses of Boise’s Beautiful Harrison Boulevard, published in 1977, at that point “six families have lived in this house, but none has had more excitement over it than the current owners, the John B. Carleys… When they moved in in 1973, they began remodeling… changing a back porch into a breakfast room with a garden bay window and redoing the kitchen.” John Carley was at one time the CEO of Albertson’s, which was founded at 17th & State Streets. Current owners, the Shirley Family, have owned the home since 1992.
This home was on PI’s 2025 Heritage Home Tour