Log Cabin Literary Center
Boise, Ada County

Location: 801 S Capitol Blvd., Boise, Idaho 83702

Franklin Gerard assumed the position of State Forester in 1937 and worked from a small office rented in downtown Boise. Finding the space to be inadequate, Gerard moved into a temporary space in the capitol building, that was only available outside of legislative sessions. All told, the Forest Service had to move administrative offices 8 times in 3 years, and they were in desperate need of a permanent solution, but with no room in the budget to do anything about it. Ever the resourceful man, Girard petitioned the City of Boise to allow the structure to be built on City land, costing his department nothing. He then talked the Boise-Payette Lumber Company into loaning him use of their architect, Hans C. Huble, to design the building, as well as the labor of two of their renowned round-log artists for exterior construction (John Heillila and Gust Lapinoja). Finally, becuase the Department of Lands managed Idaho’s Civilian Conservation Corps crews, he was able to tap into that agency’s manpower to aid in the construction.

The approximately 4,000 square foot rustic log structure is built out of Idaho wood, and the exterior logs are exquisite Englemann Spruce. Girard petitioned the various lumber companies active in the state at the time for donations to complete the interiors. The companies sent various types of wood that were then furnished into in a series of distinctive wood patterns, with each room carrying its own motif, and decoration extends to and includes floors and ceilings.

From the National Register of Historic Places Application: “The large central reception is finished with western yellow pine supplied and designed by Boise Payette Lumber Company of Boise. Four of the rooms in the building are finished with wood from, at the time, the largest virgin white pine stand in the world, located in northern Idaho. The southwest corner room was supplied and designed by the Winston Lumber Company of Gibbs, Idaho; the two other rooms on the south side were supplied and designed by Potlatch Forest, Inc., of Lewiston, Idaho; and the northwest corner room was supplied and finished by the Ohio Match Company of Spokane, Washington. The middle room on the north side of the building was finished in Idaho red fir provided by Brown’s Tie & Lumber Company of McCall, Idaho. Finally, what was originally the State Forester’s Office, in the northeast corner of the building, was designed and finished in western red cedar, provided by the Diamond Match Company of Spokane, Washington.”

Thus, the Forest Service had a permanent and handsome solution to their office needs at a fraction of the cost. The value of the building at the time of its opening was roughly $40,000, though it only cost the taxpayers of Idaho $1,600 when it was all said and done. Despite the rustic style of architecture, the building has always been in an urban area, which underscores the stylistic choice to represent the activities housed within the building through the exterior design.

The City of Boise took over management of the building in 1992 and leased it to the Log Cabin Literary Center in 1996, who maintain the building to this day. The Cabin is a literary arts organization that forges community through the voices of all readers, writers, and learners. The Cabin is an anchor of literary arts in our state, serving as the only nonprofit organization in Idaho devoted entirely to arts and educational activities that celebrate reading and writing. The Cabin serves 8,000 children and adults with a variety of programs, including writers-in-schools residencies; summer writing camps; adult writing workshops; book discussions; writing contests; published anthologies; readings by local writers; and our annual Readings & Conversations series, which brings world-renowned authors to our city to jumpstart community conversations on critical issues.

Learn more about The Cabin.