Brief Background of Building 4
Surgeon’s Quarters
Fort Boise-Boise Barracks-Veteran’s Medical Hospital
Fort Boise was established in the summer of 1863 in response to the need to protect the
growing number of emigrants and miners traversing southern Idaho on their way to Oregon
and the recently discovered mines in the Boise Basin. Major Pinckney Lugenbeel was
dispatched from Fort Vancouver to establish the fort, which he located near the intersection of
the Oregon Trail and the road to the Boise Basin. The fort originally called “Camp Boise” was
officially founded on July 4, 1863.
The major began construction of the fort immediately hiring a large force of skilled civilian
workmen including brick and stone masons, carpenters and plasterers. At one point 138
civilians were employed by the post which was more than the 125 enlisted men stationed
there. Charles May, stone mason, who accompanied Major Lugenbeel from Fort Walla Walla is
credited with constructing many of buildings. The large work force along with May and another
mason A.B. Roberts used local sandstone for construction, starting what became a local
building tradition.
Charles May was born in England in 1833 and trained as a brick maker. In 1856 he immigrated
to New York. He headed west to Kansas and in May 1863 settled at Walla Wall where he is
credited with building two of the first brick store buildings in the city. May is responsible for
the forts early sandstone and brick buildings. In 1864 he built the Cyrus Jacobs House and a
brick plant on Grove Street, making bricks until 1875 when he moved to Australia returning to
Boise in 1883.
By the fall of 1864 19 buildings plus parade grounds were completed at the fort. The finished
post was built to house three companies. During that year the post was garrisoned by
Washington and Oregon volunteers and by 1866 United States Regular Army soldiers were
stationed there.
In 1879, Fort Boise’s name was changed to Boise Barracks. Although the fort’s military
importance had diminished somewhat with the end of conflicts with Indian tribes, concerns
that the name changed indicated that the Army was considering the post for closure were
unfounded. By 1884 the Boise Barracks had grown to include more than 40 buildings. It is
possible that many of the additional buildings were constructed by the troops. In 1870 men of
Co. H, 23d Infantry helped build the Catholic Church in Boise.
In 1912, the Army moved out of the Barracks, but the post continued to be used by the Army
and the Idaho National Guard for training activities. During World War I, a movement was
initiated by the local Red Cross and women’s clubs to designate the Barracks as a
hospital/rehabilitation center for wounded veterans. The campaign was successful and in 1920
the United States Public Health Service remodeled the barracks building for a hospital. This
began a slow evolution of the Boise Barracks from a military training facility to a medical center
which resulted in major modification of the historic buildings and construction (which continues
today) of new medical facilities.
Beginning in the twentieth century efforts were begun by Boise residents to retain the historic
buildings at the post. Local clubs that included the Fortnightly club, the Columbian club, the
Good Citizenship club and Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned the War
Department to preserve the old stone structures to make room for new construction. In 1911
the Boise Commercial club (predecessor to the Chamber of Commerce) received a letter from
Robert Shaw Oliver, Assistant Secretary of War, stating that the present stone buildings which
are reported to being in a good state of repair would not be destroyed.
Building 4
Building 4 was built during the early construction years 1863-1864. The original sandstone
building was as a two-room building with rooms 14 by 16 feet. The two rooms provided space
for an office and living quarters for the Fort’s surgeon. A porch was added on the south and
north elevations. In ca. 1880 a two-story brick addition was attached to the north elevation. A
fire ca. 1935 destroyed much of this addition and the brick building was rebuilt into a single
gable roof structure. At that time the front porch was rebuilt and extended partway in front of
the brick building.
Building 4 housed the post surgeon and families for several decades until it was remodeled and
used as an office building. For the 150th celebration, Preservation Idaho is working with the
VAMC to restore the exterior of the building and rehabilitate the fireplace room to the 187080s period, including interpretive exhibits.
Sources
Bruce, Edith May. “Builder of Fort Boise, Charles May, Helped in Planning Layout of Boise. Idaho Daily
Statesman, May 25, 1963.
Fort Boise National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
Idaho Daily Statesman
“Boise’s Army Post” January 13, 1902
“Plans for Enlargement of Barracks” December 14, 1904
“New Buildings at Boise Barracks” March 1, 1908
“Passing of Old Fort Boise” May 17, 1908
“To Perpetuate Old Building at Barracks” November 28, 1910
“Plan Quarters for Nurses at Boise Barracks” December 20, 1908
“Will Preserve Old Building at Barracks” January 13, 1911
“Oregon Pioneer Lives to be 90” February 12, 1922
Polk, Michael et al. “ A Cultural Resources Overview, Survey, and Evaluation of the Veterans
Administration Medical Center, Boise, Idaho. AR Consultants, November 28, 1984.
Wells, Merle. Boise, An Illustrated History. Woodland Hills, California: Windsor Publications, 1982
Yates, Bob. “Fort Boise-Boise Barracks-Boise VA 1863-2002” on file at Volunteer Services offices.
Fort Boise VAMC Bldg. 4 Surgeon’s Quarters Time Line
(Updated May 2014)
Date
Action | Documentation
July 4th 1863 Fort Boise founded by Major Lugenbeel
1863-64 Two 14’x16’ sandstone rooms built (C. May) | 1866 Schematic map (1)
1871 Listed as Q.M. Building on Plan of Post | 1871 Plan of Post Fort Boise (1)
1878 City drawing shows two-room sandstone | 1878 Charles Ostner Boise bird’s eye view (3)
1879 Fort renamed Boise Barracks
Ca. 1880 Two-story brick addition 40’x28’ hip-gambrel roof, with front porch, 1st floor siting
room, dining room, bath, kitchen, central hall, and stairs. 2nd floor five bedrooms, bath, hall
and stairs. Listed
as single quarters. | No original plan found-see 1924 plan
1884 L-shaped bldg.-identified as Surgeon Qtrs. Single | 1884 Schematic map (1)
Ca. 1890 Large brick addition with two porches Front porch to corner-5 columns on stone
section | Ca. 1890 photograph (4)
1896 Shows L-shaped Bldg. 4 – bldgs. not labeled | 1896 Schematic map (1)
1904 Listed as Officer’s Quarters | 1904 Schematic map (1)
1907 Listed as Single Officers | 1907 Schematic map (1)
1912 Boise Barracks closed
1919 Public Health Hospital started – became VA
1924 Floor plan shows two separate porches of different height. Brick bldg. front porch
screened, stone porch open and a shown as set back from corner. Rear porch L-shaped &
shown as set back from corner. Radiators installed, basement boiler and new corner chimney
shown-no central fireplace shown. | 1924 Steam plan for brick & stone (VA Wash. DC
signatures) (5)
Ca. 1925-34 major fire in large brick 2-story addition | Limited documentation (2)
Ca. 1930 Rebuilt brick 2-story bldg. reconfigured to one bay -18’6” x 37’ 6” new brick north wall
and front gable roof. Rebuilt front porch, extended-5-column-screened with new 2x4s. Rear
porch enclosed, L-removed, now to stone corner and modified roof line. 2nd 1st floor window
added to front of brick bldg. Access to 2nd floor removed.
1935 Occupied by Dr. Leslie Bane Crumrine | Ca. 1935 Bldg. 4 photo wood sidewalk (8)
1941 Occupied by A.C. carved in stone under plaque
1952 Bldg. 4 plans 3 sheets-elev. & floor plans | Bldg. 4 plans 3 sheets (6)
Interior arch shown, kitchen cupboard detail shown. Small bathroom in brick section and
laundry on back porch.
1954 Occupied by Dr. Helferty, wife Irene, son Scott
1955-72 Occ. by Dr. Jim Julius, wife Peggy, da. Judy | 1955 dining room X-mas slide
1973 Occupied by Dr. James Hammarsten family
1985-1987 Occ. by Dr. Raymond Bungard family | Interview Jim Bungard, son 2013
19__ Rear accessible ramp added to brick section. | No documentation
1988-1991 Office and storage use
1992-2014 Vacant
2005 Existing plan shows larger bathroom on back back porch, storage area off kitchen, wrap
around kitchen cabinets and sink on north wall. Cupboard removed. | 2005 Trout Architect Plans
& Elevations (7)
2013 Preservation Idaho initiates partnership with VAMC, bldg. history, planning, architecture,
funding. | PI Preservation Team: Trout Architects Fred Walters, Gregory Kaslo, Keith Jones,
Paul Burhman, Barbara Perry Bauer, John Bertram-Project Manager, Frank Eld, Treasurer
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
Sources
Polk, Michael et al. “ A Cultural Resources Overview, Survey, and Evaluation of the Veterans
Administration Medical Center, Boise, Idaho. AR Consultants, November 28, 1984.
Yates, Bob. “Fort Boise-Boise Barracks-Boise VA 1863-2002” Unpublished.
Charles L. Ostner, Boise Birds Eye View, 1878 Lithograph, ISHS 77-22.6
Ca. 1890 Bldg. 4 Photograph Source: Boise VAMC Facilities Management Services, Boise, ID
U.S. Veterans Bureau, Hospital No. 52, Building No. 4, Boise, Idaho, Steam Heating Plan, Oct. 7,
1924. Source: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Facilities Management Services, Boise, Idaho.
Veteran’s Administration Boise, Idaho Bldg. 4 Sheet 3 of 3, June 1952. Source: Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, Facilities Management Services, Boise, Idaho
Trout Architects, VAMC Building 4 Feasibility Study, Aug. 2005 and Sept. 2005.
Ca. 1935 photo of Bldg. 4 with Dr. Crumrine on front door and wood sidewalk. Source VAMC.