Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024

1. Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building Marker

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From the National Register Nomination prepared by Elizabeth P. Jacox, 8/1/2005:
The Bannock County Servicemen's Memorial Building was constructed in the 1920s. The building was designed by architect Frank Paradice, Jr., and was built by contractor Alex Mathers. The total cost of approximately $50,000 was paid by subscription, collected from residents

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024

2. Bannock County Servicemen’s Memorial Building 1924

This older plaque is mounted directly above the National Register marker, reflecting the original building name and date built.

of Pocatello and Bannock County. Construction began in 1924, but due to supply difficulties and funding stops and starts, the building was not completed until 1926. Constructed of brick with a tile roof, the building sits on a concrete foundation. The grounds slope steeply toward the Portneuf River so that the ground level on the northeast elevation (facing the river) is 9 feet lower than the ground level on the southwest elevation (facing North Johnson Avenue). The building is U-shaped, with the arms extending toward North Johnson Avenue. The center bar of the "U" is a three-story, hipped-roof rectangle.

All sides of the building feature arched, multi-paned, casement windows with fanlights; most entrances are multi-paned glass doors, with French doors on the doors of the enclosed area on the northeast elevation. Small, square, casement windows with a single diamond pattern line the upper edge of the top story of the center portion of the building on all sides. The main portion of the building is constructed of a medium-toned red brick, but it is accented with patterns in a darker brick around the arched doors and windows. A ribbon of the darker brick runs along all four sides of the building at the top of the first story. A similar decorative line runs along the line of the second story, following the shaped parapets on the southwest elevation (facing North Johnson Avenue) and the arches of the windows on the central section of the northeast elevation (facing the river). The building retains its function as a community center and is maintained by The Bannock County Veterans' Memorial Association, a non-profit organization.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024

3. Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building (west/front entrance)

The marker is mounted on the right side of the front entrance. The entrance is partially hidden from the street due to the long and low overhanging protective shed-roof.

Excerpt:  This site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Lincoln-Johnson Avenue Residential Historic District, though it stands in stark contrast to the typical craftsman/bungalow-style single family homes that typify the rest of the neighborhood. In addition to meeting and event spaces, the building hosts a collection of donated artifacts and personal belongings from servicepeople in the area, which serve to memorialize, honor, and tell the story of those who sacrificed everything to serve our country.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024

4. Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building
(north elevation)

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024

5. Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building
(northwest elevation)

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024

6. Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building
(southwest elevation)

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2024

7. Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building
(west/front elevation)

From the National Register Nomination:  On the southwest elevation (facing North Johnson Avenue), the arms of the building are two stories, with the lower floor below ground level. The arms feature shaped parapets with hexagonal towers on the inner corners. Between the arms, a cantilevered roof extends over the entrance. The original entrance may have been an arcade with multiple arched doorways. A modern glass and metal entrance has been installed, allowing entrance through a double glass and metal door. Two flights of concrete steps with metal hand railings lead to the sidewalk on North Johnson. A protective shed-roof cover supported on metal posts has been placed over the steps leading from the building to the first landing.