Bovill Opera House

The exact construction date of the Bovill Opera House is unknown, however it is known that the opera house was in use by 1911.  The opera house survived both major fires in Bovill in 1912 and 1914.  Almost immediately after completion the Bovill Opera House was the hub of respectable social activity in Bovill and the surrounding areas.  The opera house gave the community a less rambunctious form of entertainment as the other forms of entertainment in Bovill consisted of billiards halls and bars.  The Bovill Opera House has two levels, the theater is in the first floor while the dance hall is in the upper floor.  The Bovill Opera House was initially used for dances, silent films, student plays, vaudeville shows, private social gatherings and community activities.  The opera house began showing moving pictures before Bovill had electricity and installed a generator outside of the building to produce the power necessary to display the pictures. 

Bovill Opera House, c.a. 1920, courtesy of the Latah County Historical Society, 02-06-007.

By the 1930s the Bovill Opera House hosted ‘talkies’ or movies with speaking roles.  During the 1930s the dance floor upstairs was converted to a miniature golf course and then into a roller skating rink.  The Bovill Opera House closed during World War II.  After World War II, Lloyd Hall ran the theater, showing older movies, until the popularity of television overcame the financial viability of the theater.  The Opera House closed for daily operation in 1955, however it was opened occasionally in the 1970s and 1980s as the Bovill Historical Museum.  The opera house is currently under restoration by the Bovill Improvement Group interested in once again making it the hub of community activities.

Bovill Opera House, 1978, courtesy of the Latah County Historical Society, 02-03-022.

References:

Julin, Suzanne. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Bovill Opera House. Missoula, MT, December 8, 2009.


Otness, Lillian W. A Great Good Country: A guide to Historic Moscow and Latah County, Idaho. (Moscow: Latah County Historic Society, 1983), 140.

Bovill Opera House, 1978, courtesy of the Latah County Historical Society, 02-03-029.

Bovill Opera House, 1978, courtesy of the Latah County Historical Society, 02-03-030.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, which now houses the Bovill Branch of the Latah County Library, was originally built in Elk River, Idaho.  Elk River, Idaho was founded in 1910 to serve the needs of the workers of the Clearwater Timber Company.  This church was built in Elk River in 1928 and was designed by the Boise architectural firm of Tourtellotte and Hummel, a firm with many significant buildings throughout Idaho including the Idaho State Capitol.  This church is very similar to the Parma Catholic Church also designed by Tourtellotte and Hummel.  The church in Elk River had a few differences and has more ornate details.  The Clearwater Timber Company closed their mill in Elk River in 1933 and many houses were moved out of the town on skids in the years following.  This church was moved to Bovill, a 17-mile trip, in 1935.  The church has served as a mission for the Catholic Church which began under the Bovill parish and later under the Potlatch parish until 1997.  As a mission church this church had no permanent priest, rather had a building in which a traveling priest would preach in.  There were many pastors who preached in this church including Father Zuur from 1918-1921 and in 1933 Father John Kunkel lead the congregation.

In 1997 the church was no longer of use to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise and was put up for sale.  The church was purchased by the Bovill Library Historic Preservation Committee.  The church was slowly renovated to suit the needs of the library through fund-raising and volunteer labor.  The building opened again as the Bovill branch of the Latah County Library District in July of 1999.

References:

Bovill Library Website:  http://www.latahlibrary.org/branches/bovill.asp  Accessed 4/30/2014

Bishop Edward Kelley. Unpublished priest biographies and church history. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise Collection, Boise, ID.

Margaret Planagan to Judith Austin. Letter. Latah County Historical Society, Moscow, ID.

The Official Catholic Directory, P.J. Kenedy & Sons, New York, NY., 1920, Google Books, accessed 4/30/2014, p.232.

The Official Catholic Directory, 1983, P.J. Kenedy & Sons, New York, NY., The Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise Collection, Boise, ID, p.232.

Wright, Patricia, Inventory Sheet for Group Nominations: Idaho State Historical Society Boise, Idaho: Tourtelotte and Hummel Architecture, 1980.