BOISE — A group of old historic homes in downtown Boise is now protected from demolition after the city council put an emergency ordinance in place Tuesday night.
The moratorium comes after the owner of a red Victorian mansion on 140 Main Street expressed to the city that he wanted to redevelop his property into condos.
"Some of these buildings are touchstones to the city's beginning, that area right there was the original city plat for the city of Boise," says Boise spokesman Mike Journee.
The moratorium covers the house at 140 Main and ten other historic homes on Main and Idaho streets. It will prevent all 11 of those homes from being demolished, moved or altered externally in any way for six months.
During that time, the city will work to create a permanent historic district.
It's a move the city has tried unsuccessfully in the past.
"This area was looked at for a local historic district back in the 1990'[s but it did not move forward at that time," says Journee.
The house on 140 Main was built in 1897 by the same architects who built the state Capitol.
"There’s a beautiful oak staircase that goes up three floors, almost every room of the main floor has beautiful paneling and original fireplaces and even some fireplaces, it is well-kept," says Dan Everhart, an architecture historian.
At one point, the house even served as the governor's mansion.
"In 1908 it was acquired by James Brady who had been elected governor of Idaho, Mr. Brady owned it for a few years,' says Everhart.
The other ten temporarily protected homes were built in the same period.
After the moratorium expires, city council will decide if the houses will be preserved for good.