BOISE, Idaho — The restoration of an historic Caldwell home continues, and the foundation will be completed in the following weeks.
Back in late June, moving day came for the Rice House, a home that used to be on the College of Idaho campus, to its new location at the corner of Chicago Street and Kimball Avenue. The home will have a coffee shop and will provide a unique opportunity for first responders, providing five of them with affordable housing.
Director Mike Dittenber with the Caldwell Housing Authority, a not-for-profit that helps people find affordable housing, will soon announce their capital campaign. It will raise money through donations to help offset restoration costs, which Dittenber said the more they get, the less first responders will need to pay.
“First responders are dealing with the same housing issues that everybody else is dealing with," Dittenber said. "Housing is scarce. It's in many cases unaffordable, and so if we can provide affordable housing to first responders, it provides a different element of our community that we support [them.]"
Dittenber said the plans to move the home began six years ago, and the goal is to restore the building to its original condition. The home is currently listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and its new location neighbors two other historic Caldwell Homes.
"It's like a last piece to a puzzle," Dittenber said.
Moving home was no easy task, but Dittenber said the most challenging part was preparation as crews cut down tree branches and relocated signs. The process went smoothly, but it wasn't without speed bumps.
"There were a couple of times during the move where the house took a big shake when it went over a bump, and we all held our breath, but it did a great job in the move, and we're glad to see it here,” he said.
On the night of the move, many residents walked out into the cold morning air and watched as the now "mobile" home inched its way through Caldwell streets.
Dittenber said the entire move took four hours.
As of Monday, Aug. 26, the home's foundation, which is 14 inches thick and 20 feet high, is nearly complete. Dittenber said once it's done, it will be announced, and the public will be able to watch crews slowly move it inch by inch onto the foundation.
There is no set date for when the restoration will be complete.