Haas Hardware/People’s Furniture, Weiser
Weiser, Washington County
- Grants: 2026 – Removal of existing metal siding to determine the state of underlying brick facade in advance of National Register of Historic Places Nomination
Location: 525 State Street Weiser, Idaho 83672
The property currently identified as “People’s Furniture” is actually two separate buildings, though the first-floor commercial spaces of the two have since been combined. The southern structure is a two-story brick and sandstone clad building built in 1909 to house the Haas Hardware store, while the northern building is a three-story, brick-clad building that formerly held the Wheaton Theater and was constructed several years earlier.
A fire on the upper floor of the theater in the 1930’s resulted in the removal of the third floor, leading to a slightly altered front facade that retains most of its original architectural detail. In the 1960’s, the street elevations on both were shrouded in metal siding, giving the appearance of one large building. Following the devastating fire and demolition of the five-story Washington Hotel in the 1970’s, the “Merc” (the business then operating in these buildings) became the largest and most identifiable building in downtown Weiser.
SHPO and IHT consultants along with the building owner and representatives of WAPC, conducted a site visit to assess how the metal siding was attached and the current condition of historic siding. In the Spring of 2026, IHT Historical Architect Steve Trout and Executive Director Katherine Kirk were on-hand to see the temporary removal of the facade. From the field report:
“Over time, the facades have been altered. The lower storefront awnings, transoms, and some windows were filled in and stuccoed over. The highly detailed main entrance to the theater building was removed, and different types of metal canopies were constructed over the sidewalks. Currently, both historic buildings have their second-floor facades covered by the same 20-foot-tall white metal panel system attached to the original brickwork and wood window frames with standoff metal brackets. These panels are held away from the original facades. Below the above white panel system is a cantilevered metal canopy supported by metal and wood trusses over the sidewalk.
It was found during the exploration that both historic buildings are in reasonably good condition, with one exception: at the top of the parapet wall of the Haas building in the southwest corner, the brickwork has a significant vertical crack and requires immediate repair.”
With a mostly swimming review, plans can now commence on the removal of the siding, repair of the underlying facade, and an eventual application for downtown Weiser to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
