Idaho State Historic Preservation Office

WE'VE GOT SPIRIT - YES WE DO!

Please join us in welcoming the City of Spirit Lake as Idaho’s newest Certified Local Government (CLG)!

Spirit Lake has demonstrated a strong commitment to historic preservation through efforts such as developing a Historic Preservation Plan. Becoming a CLG is an important milestone that strengthens local preservation efforts while creating new opportunities for partnership, training, and funding.

SHPO is excited to continue working alongside Spirit Lake in this new, certified partnership.

Congratulations Spirit Lake, we look forward to seeing all that you accomplish!

How 'bout you? To find out more about our CLG program, see our website: https://history.idaho.gov/clg/

Idaho has a New Historic Preservation Plan!

On this final day of Idaho Archaeology & Historic Preservation Month, we are excited to announce the publication of Idaho's Historic Preservation Plan for 2026-2036! This statewide plan helps guide historic preservation efforts over the next 10 years by identifying key goals, priorities, and objectives for protecting and celebrating Idaho's historic places and cultural heritage.

From historic downtowns and archaeological sites to community landmarks and rural resources, this plan helps shape the future of preservation in Idaho.

Thank you to author Patricia Nilsson and all of the partners, organizations, Tribes, local communities, and preservation advocates who helped contribute to this important effort. Through statewide survey and dozens of meetings across the Gem State, Idahoans provided critical guidance that made this document possible.

To read the plan:https://history.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/SHPO-HPP-2026_Final.pdf

A successful day at CAMP...

Last week, the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office partnered with the Coeur d’Alene Historic Preservation Commission and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) to host the 2026 Commission Assistance & Mentoring Program (CAMP) Training in Coeur d’Alene!

Participants learned about a variety of preservation-related topics, including 'Why Preserve? Understanding the value of historic preservation', standards and guidelines for design review, legal basics for preservation commissions, and community engagement and building public support.

A huge thank you to NAPC trainers Abbey Christman and Chris Cody, as well as Pat Baird, the Nez Perce Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Jill Wagner, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, for sharing their knowledge and helping lead a great day of preservation training and discussion.

We also want to thank the City of Coeur d’Alene and everyone who attended for helping to make this event such a success. It was great to see so many CLGs come together.

We look forward to seeing everyone next year in Idaho Falls for the 2027 CAMP Training!

Idaho's Historic Sites Review Board Meets THIS SATURDAY!

On Saturday, May 30th, the Idaho Historic Sites Review Board will meet in Boise at 1:00 PM at the Idaho History Center (2205 E Old Penitentiary Road). This meeting is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

The board will consider nine voting nominations during the meeting. These include:
Historic Agricultural Properties of Cougar Gulch, Kootenai County, Idaho 1888-1976
Carousel Tree Farm, Coeur d’Alene (vicinity), Kootenai County
Parma State Bank, Parma, Canyon County
Weiser High School Gymnasium & Auditorium, Weiser, Washington County
Evergreen Grange Hall, Lenore (vicinity), Clearwater County
Shoshone County Poor Farm, Silverton, Shoshone County
Caldwell Municipal Rose Garden, Caldwell, Canyon County
Bovill Historic Commercial District, Bovill, Latah County
University of Idaho Historic District, Moscow, Latah County

For more information, and to join virtually via Zoom, visit https://history.idaho.gov/nrhp/historic-sites-review-board/.

Did you catch us on the news last night?

Outreach Historian Dan Everhart spoke to KTVB about concerns over historic tree removal at Boise's VA Medical Center (VAMC) Campus. The VAMC consulted with our office through the Section 106 process before they began their project to construct a new medical center on the National Register-listed campus.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) plays a vital and legally mandated role in the implementation of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966. As the official state-level partner in the nation’s historic preservation program, SHPO gives local voice to federal action and is responsible for reviewing and commenting on projects that may affect historic properties while making use of federal lands, monies, or permits. The SHPO provides professional expertise and guidance to help identify historic properties, assess project impacts, and explore alternatives that avoid, minimize, or mitigate harm.

The placement of the new Medical Center resulted in an Adverse Effect to historic properties, diminishing the setting and feeling of the Campus. The VAMC will ultimately mitigate these impacts with a tree re-planting plan and a new interpretive trail that will discuss the history of the Campus.

Check it out: https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-va-medical-centers-expansion-alter-historic-fort-boise-site/277-498ad609-94ed-49cf-8568-d4beecb15249

Interpreting the Camas Landscape...

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a public dedication ceremony for new interpretive and wayfinding exhibits at Camas National Wildlife Refuge (CWR) THIS THURSDAY, May 14th. Representatives of the Tribes' Fort Hall Business Council and and U.S. Fish and Wildlife will speak and perform a ribbon cutting along with Camas NWR and Tribal staff and community members. The ceremony will take place from 11am to 11:30am followed by an auto tour from 11:30am to 12:30pm. The ceremony will take place in Hamer, Idaho at the Camas Wildlife Refuge Headquarters. Follow directional signs to ceremony location.

The new exhibits reflect collaborative efforts between the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, the Tribes' Original Territories and Historical Research Program, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Exhibit design was led by Split Rock Studios and features graphics and artwork by Shoshone-Bannock tribal member Derek No-Sun Brown, selected through a competitive call for Tribal artists. The interpretive elements highlight Shoshone-Bannock culture, art, patterns, language, and connections to the Camas NWR landscape.

Beginning at 12:30pm, the auto tour route will be reserved for students and staff of Chief Tahgee Elementary Academy (CTEA). CTEA students will participate in place-based learning guided by Tribal educators and teacher participants from the National Science Foundation-funded Cultivating Relationships Program. This program, administered by the University of Idaho in partnership with the Tribes, integrates traditional knowledge and land-based teaching into professional development for educators.

The updated signage is designed to enhance visitor understanding, improve directions and navigation, and present multiple cultural and ecological perspectives. The exhibits encourage stewardship, community science, and appreciation for the refuge's habitat restoration efforts.

For additional information, please contact the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes' Language and Cultural Preservation Department at 208-236-1187.

Signs of Change...

Each May, the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office celebrates Archaeology & Historic Preservation Month! Part of this effort is the development of a poster. This year, following our March Madness competition theme, we chose historic signs.

Sinage has always caught the eye of the customer. But with the advent of the automobile, roadside advertisement for businesses as diverse as motels, restaurants, laundries, and attractions became a way to stand out from the crowd. While the proliferation of these signs drew criticism from a few as "visual pollution," many remaining examples now offer a sense of nostalgia. Idaho's roadside signage is especially unique, with great examples of vintage neon, animated figures, and Uniroyal girls and muffler men. With efforts to preserve and restore the Gem State's historic signs on the rise, these are just a few selections from Idaho's vast but vulnerable collection.

Poster artwork by local Boise artist JanyRae Seda.

Free posters will be available soon!

Time to CAMP!

Registration is still open for the 2026 Commission Assistance and Mentoring Program (CAMP) Training, hosted in partnership between the Idaho SHPO, the Coeur d’Alene Historic Preservation Commission, and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC).

CAMP brings national historic preservation experts to Idaho for a full day of training focused on strengthening local preservation programs. This is a fantastic opportunity for commissioners, planners, local officials, and community members interested in preserving their history to build skills, learn best practices, and explore tools that support effective preservation in their communities.

Location: Coeur d’Alene Public Library
702 E Front Ave, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
Date: Friday, May 22nd
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Reception to follow

Training topics include:
• Why Preserve? Understanding the value of historic preservation
• Standards and Guidelines for Design Review
• Legal Basics for Preservation Commissions
• Community Engagement and Building Public Support

This training is open to anyone seeking preservation education! To complete your free registration please visit: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/syC8k7g5HM?origin=lprLink

The Results are In!

After weeks of sign versus sign squabbles, a winner has finally emerged victorious from March Madness: Idaho's Historic Places Edition.

The Blue Fox Theater was one of two theater signs in the competition. While the Chief Theater in Pocatello is iconic, it couldn’t stand up to this hometown hero. The Blue Fox’s marquee dates from the 1940s. Its glowing neon blade has a subtle art deco style and compliments the theater’s Spanish Colonial Revival style.

Over 4,000 votes were cast in the last round of our competition and while the Stardust Motel put up a good fight, its clear that the marquee of the Blue Fox Theater of Grangeville is one of Idaho's most beloved historic signs.

Idaho has lost many of its historic signs over the years, but efforts to appreciate, preserve, and restore these signs have been on the rise. The competitors chosen for this year's March Madness are just a few of Idaho's vast collection of historic signs. Thank you for playing along with us and we hope you will continue to see and value historic signage from across our state.