1. National Register of Historic Places Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Emily Peeso February 7, 2006

2. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho “Both documentation and designation of individual historic properties are important aspects of historic preservation, for they represent the validation of a structure’s historic significance and give it appropriate recognition.” Norman Tyler’s Historic Preservation: An Introduction to its History Principles and Practice

3. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Introduction National Register of Historic Places The Craftsman Style of Architecture The Bell House and the Hill House nominations Nominated under Criterion C as exemplary models of the Late 19 th and Early 20 th Century American Movement Craftsman Style of architecture.

4. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho National Register of Historic Places Standard listing of national inventory Identification, recognition, and listing of significant historic properties National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 The National Park Service under the Department of the Interior.

5. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Process Identify eligible property Complete written and photographic documentation Property reviewed and accepted by its state preservation board Sent to the National Park Service in Washington DC for the Keeper of the National Registry to make the final determination. Define PropertyDocument PropertyState ApprovalFederal Approval

6. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Documentation The Nomination Form

7. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Documentation The Nomination Form Section 7 Architectural Narrative Description

8. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Documentation The Nomination Form Section 8 Statement of Significance

9. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Documentation The Secretary of the Interior’s Criteria for historic significance: A. Historic events C. Architecture B. Significant persons D. Archaeology The four factors of historic integrity (affects level of significance): ageunaltered stylehistorical

10. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Documentation The Nomination Form

11. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Documentation The Nomination Form

12. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Meridian History Established in the late 19 th century as a farming community. The community grew in all facets from the Odd-Fellows lodge (est.1893), churches, schools, businesses and transportation. In August of 1903 with over 200 inhabitants, the town of Meridian was incorporated. By 1920 the town had 1000 people.

13. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Bell House E Pine Ave E Carlton Ave E Washington St E 1st St E State Ave E Broadway Ave N Meridian RoadE 2nd StE 3rd St E 4th St N

14. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Bell House Built in 1922 The Bell family purchased the property in 1925 and played an active role in the community. Contextually - prospering townsmen and business owners and modern neighborhood building Architecturally - popular early 20 th century style Trendy media examples - Craftsman Homes guide by Gustav Stickley, the Sears and Roebuck Co.’s Modern Homes Catalog, the Ladies’ Home Journal and Good Housekeeping magazines

15. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Bell House In the May 6, 1921, edition of the Meridian Times newspaper, the news reports that S. H. Griffith has a contract to build a “strictly modern [house] including a furnace” on the corner of 2 nd and Pine Streets. The local newspaper also regularly ran a column featuring fashionable and functional domestic buildings and agricultural structures in the early 1920s. The Bell House represents the modern Craftsman style trend of the early 20 th century.

16. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Hill House E Pine Ave E Carlton Ave E Washington St E 1st St E State Ave E Broadway Ave N Meridian RoadE 2nd StE 3rd St E 4th St N

17. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Hill House Charles Arzt built the house in 1920 after selling the property to Mae Estes. Clara Hill purchased the property in 1938. “Grandma Hill’s House”

18. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Hill House Contextually - transformation of “Hunter” outpost to incorporated town of Meridian, built on a main through highway Architecturally - popular subtype of a prevalent late nineteenth- century, early twentieth-century building style The location, scale and style indicate the successful beginnings of Meridian.

19. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Craftsman Style Peak occurrence in the US between 1905 and 1930 Modern amenities - electricity, indoor plumbing, and central heating Modern, open and functional design Greene brothers in California Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie style Naturalness - use of wood and earth tones, simple characteristics and geometric forms.

20. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Craftsman Style Low-pitched gabled roof (occasionally hipped) with wide, unenclosed eave overhang Roof rafters usually exposed Porches, either full- or partial-width, with roof supported by square columns decorative (false beams or brace under gables Columns or column bases frequently continue to ground level (without break at level of porch floor) Front-gabled roofCross-gabled roofSide-gabled roofHipped roof Side-gabled roof

21. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Craftsman Style Typical decorative elements include: Plain timber embellishments Geometric designs Decorative top sashes over a single glass light in double sash windows Use of wood material

22. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Craftsman Style The natural elements of design reinforced a connection to nature: The inviting open design The porches acted as contained interior spaces to enjoy the natural exterior surroundings Exterior treatments: wood weatherboard, wood shingling, brick chimneys and natural tones

23. National Historic Registry Nomination of Hill the and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Bell House Specifics A one and one-half story domestic single- dwelling building Side-gabled roof extending over the enclosed porches Battered porch base (common for Craftsman porch supports) Centered dormer on front and back with triple window fenestration Central entry with side-lights Simple, plain exposed timber under the deep unenclosed eaves of the main roof and the dormers Decorative glazing in geometric designs

24. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Hill House Specifics It is one and one-half story domestic single- dwelling building Side-gabled roof extending over the enclosed porches Use of wood weatherboard and shingling for exterior wall cladding Centered dormer on front Simple, plain exposed timber under the deep unenclosed eaves of the main roof and the dormers with triangular knee braces (common Craftsman decorative element) Multiple window fenestration Central entry with side-lights Decorative window glazing in geometric designs

25. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Next Steps Tricia Canaday, Architectural Historian, SHPO (August 2005) Idaho’s state preservation board meeting (October 2005) National Park Service in Washington DC (currently) Keeper of the National Register - the final determination Tricia will let us know the designation (any day now)!

26. National Historic Registry Nomination of the Hill and Bell Houses Meridian Idaho Thank You!