Built in 1871, this National Historic Landmark housed about dollar 75 million in gold and silver during its heyday. Gold discovered in the Wood River Valley, Boise Basin and Owyhee County created the need for a Federal mint or assay office in Idaho. The sandstone Assay Office operated until 1933 when it became the Boise National Forest headquarters. Today, it is home to the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office and the Archeological Survey of Idaho.
This tree-filled avenue is home to some of Boise's first houses done in a graceful late 1800s architecture. Located near downtown Boise, these elegant mansions were the first in the United States to be geothermally heated. Stroll the neighborhood and find some of the best gems. The oldest home, built in 1868, is at 1035 Warm Springs Avenue. The first geothermally heated home, built in 1891, can be found at 1109 Warm Springs Avenue. At 929 Warm Springs Avenue, you come to a 1925 house built in the style of a British manor. All of the homes are private and are not open for tours.
The buildings of the Eighth Street Marketplace in downtown Boise are known for preserving a bit of Boise's 19th century past. The area makes for a perfect place to meander through Boise's history. At 516 South Eighth Street, visitors will find the Idaho Laundry building, which has been in operation since 1897. The nearby Boise Junk House at 521 South Eighth Street is where boys traded iron and other "junk" for cash. Other nearby landmarks include the Idaho Candy Company, in business since 1909, the Oregon Trail Memorial Bridge and the Log Cabin Literary Center.
