Boise, ID

I was always fascinated by a little church, tucked tightly between other buildings on the corner of 11th and State St. The unusual architecture, along with it’s stained glass windows, always made me wonder who built it and what style it was.

Years later, I learned from a friend whom had gone to the church, that the property was up for sale and that the fate of the building was unknown.

I couldn’t fathom the possibility that such an unusual building, obliviously historic in nature, could be demolished for a new development.

Not to worry though, the little Jewish Synagogue that had been a fixture in Boise for nearly 108 years, was going to be moved to a new site, purchased by, Ahavath Beth Israel so they could expand their growing congregation.

It was late in the day, this past Sunday, that I drove to the site of the new synagogue, at 11 North Latah St., located just south of Morris Hill Cemetery. It was an opportunity at last to get up close and inspect the ornate building and all it had to offer.

Before leaving my home, I did a bit of research on the church. Here’s what I found:

Boise’s Jewish community had it’s beginnings in the early mining camps in the 1860’s. As Boise grew into a settlement, people gathered in private homes to celebrate the holidays. In 1895, a group of 25 Jewish residents formed Congregation Beth Israel. Today, it is the oldest synagogue west of the Mississippi in continuous use since 1896. The building is of Moorish design, and was restored in 1982. (Interior Image from Beth Israel Website)

I couldn’t help but notice the old church as I pulled into the expansive but empty parking lot, late Sunday morning. Situated just south of Morris Hill Cemetery, it sits to the east of the new church building. Research says that it is now used as a religious school and synagogue office.

My hopes were dashed of finding someone around, who could have let me inside. But after a close inspection of the exterior, one could only imagine the grandeur of the interior space.

The large stained glass windows at the front of the building look to be of leaded glass that one would expect. The wooden circles and arches of the main glass window, suggest the fine craftsmanship of an art long since past.

I also found out a bit about the woodwork on what I call the eyebrows. Situated on either side of the ends of the building, they are quite unique. Seems the Moorish style of Architecture also includes what they say are articulated joints. In laymans terms it means a hole part is united by means of series of joints.

Another interesting fact is that the majority of the building is red. Since Boise had and has a large Basque population, it seems reasonable that the little red church may have taken it’s color from an ancient palace in Spain, named Alhambra-In Arabic the name means, “The red one,” or Red Fortress,” but that’s my own guess.