Warm Springs Avenue

Warm Springs Avenue. . The Warm Springs Avenue neighborhood began to emerge in the 1890’s, soon after Kelly Hot Springs, for which the street was named, was tapped to provide water for Boise’s fire hydrants. The prominent owners of the water line built their mansions on the street, pumping in the natural hot water from east of Table Rock for use in their homes; these were among the first houses in the world to utilize geothermal sources for heat. , The homes on Warms Springs Avenue are distinctive and grand, and designed in diverse architectural styles. The combination of stately homes and geothermal heat makes this area one of Boise’s most historically significant local districts, as well as one of the most unique in the western states. , Children’s Home Society of Idaho , The Children’s Home Society was established in 1908 by Reverend O. P. Christian to provide a home and education for the orphans of the state. Cynthia A. Mann, a teacher and local activist of the day, donated this block and a house where the children resided until completion of the permanent building. Constructed of sandstone quarried at Table Rock, this structure was begun in early 1910 and received its first residents later that year. , The facility served as an orphanage until 1966 when national legislation shifted responsibility for this population to foster care. , Warm Springs Avenue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and was designated as a local historic district by Boise City in 1996. The district extends from Broadway Avenue to Marden Street.