As America turns 250 years old this year and many are reflecting on our country’s past, we wanted to take a closer look at Idaho’s history, which reflects the breadth of the American experience. Discovering more about the places we see and touch in our daily lives can create deeper connections with our home and our community. So we’re taking a deep dive into the history of Boise, one small piece at a time with our America 250: Short Histories of Boise Project. Each Monday on Idaho Matters, we’ll bring you a snapshot of a small corner of our Capital City and its unique past.
Today we’ll explore the Union Block.
The Union Block building on Idaho Street in downtown Boise went up in 1902, which means it’s closing in on 125-years-old. Builders faced the two-story structure with cut stone and newspapers of the day praised it as a handsome new addition to Boise’s growing streetscape.
From the start, the Union Block buzzed with activity. The first floor filled with retail shops, including a grocery store, while upstairs, a dance academy and dance hall brought music and movement to the building.
Five well-known Boise businessmen pooled their money to make the project happen. Each came from a different background, but together they left a lasting mark on the city.
One of those investors, Moses Alexander, was a German immigrant who happened to be serving as Boise’s mayor while the building was under construction. Alexander would go on to serve two terms as Governor of Idaho, becoming the first practicing Jewish governor in the United States.
The other investors included an English immigrant who made his fortune ranching sheep in southern Idaho, a partner in a successful local hardware business, and two Civil War veterans who had served in the Union Army.
Idaho Territory took shape during the Civil War, and in the years that followed, many Southern sympathizers moved west. Political tensions lingered long after the fighting ended. Local legend suggests the name “Union Block” may reach back to that divided era. Even though the war had ended some 37 years before the building opened, some sources claim that the investors may have chosen the name as a clear public statement of loyalty to the Union and a pointed message to any Confederate sympathizers living in Boise.
Built with brick and sandstone that was quarried at Tablerock, the Union Block was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The America 250: Short Histories of Boise Project is brought to you in collaboration with the City of Boise’s Department of Arts & History; with support from Boise State University’s History 502 class; and music provided by the City of Boise’s Cultural Ambassador, the Boise Philharmonic. The music, John Williams' "Liberty Fanfare," was recorded by the Boise Phil in 2025.
For a full schedule of city-sponsored America 250 events, visit City of Boise America 250 and for events and programs across the state, visit America 250 in Idaho.
References:
Barnhill, Frankie. “Legacy Of Hate: Mapping The Confederate And Union Footprint In Idaho.” Boise State Public Radio, October 5, 2017. Accessed January 22, 2026. https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/idaho-news/2017-10-05/legacy-of-hate-mapping-the-confederate-and-union-footprint-in-idaho.
Bauer, Barbara Perry and Elizabeth Jacox, TAG Historical Research & Consulting. “Shaping Boise: A Selection of Boise’s Landmark Buildings.” City of Boise, Department of Planning & Development Services, 2010. Accessed January 22, 2026. https://www.cityofboise.org/media/7053/shaping-boise-landmarks.pdf.
“Contract Let Yesterday For New Union Building.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), October 2, 1901: 6. NewsBank.
“Fine Stone Block.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), July 27, 1901: [8]. NewsBank.
“General John Green Dead in Boise.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), November 23, 1908: [1]. NewsBank.
Hart, Arthur. “Idaho History: Union Block gave Boise ‘elegant’ architecture.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), May 1, 2016: 6. NewsBank.
Idaho State Historical Society. “Idaho Before Statehood, Number 108.” Idaho State Historical Society Reference Series, July 1966. Accessed January 22, 2026. https://history.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/0108.pdf.
[Illustration – Union Block]. Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), July 31, 1901: [1]. NewsBank.
“James Lusk Pioneer, Dies.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), April 30, 1939: 1, 11. NewsBank.
“Opening of Christensen’s Hall.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), March 2, 1902: 6. NewsBank.
“Store in the Union Block to Be Occupied Upon Completion.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), December 5, 1901: 6. NewsBank.
“Veteran and Pioneer Goes to ‘Silent Camp’.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), April 26, 1918: 5. NewsBank.
“Wealthy Idaho Man Passes Suddenly.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), November 6, 1914: 10. NewsBank.
Webb, Anna. “Union Block: 150 Boise Icons to celebrate the city’s sesquicentennial.” Idaho Statesman, (Boise, ID), March 10, 2013: 5. NewsBank.
Union Block Building. The Idaho Architecture Project. https://www.idahoarchitectureproject.org/properties/union-block-building/
