Boise Little Theater - Boise, ID
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 43° 36.892 W 116° 11.481
11T E 565250 N 4829416
This round theater building has been somewhat of a landmark in Boise since it was built in 1957 near the old Ft. Boise area.
Waymark Code: WMDYVV
Location: Idaho, United States
Date Posted: 03/11/2012
Views: 5
If the distinctive round building is not enough to stand out, then visitors may be drawn to the facade of the old Pinney Theater, built in 1908, and razed in 1969 to make way for parking. It had been an icon for more than fifty years in downtown Boise.
The theater web site offers this glimpse of its history:
"Boise Little Theater began its distinguished history of continuous productions in 1948, making it one of the oldest all volunteer community theaters in the nation. It has demonstrated an extraordinary stability, many of its members having been with the organization for over forty years, and some from the very beginning.
After a devastating fire in 1957 that destroyed the theater building at Gowen Field and caused the death of two BLT members, a new theater was built in the Fort Boise area of Boise City. This unique round theater has become a city landmark.
The theater was originally designed by Aurthur L. Troutner of Trus-dek Corp. The plans included the curved laminated beams in the ceiling, one of the first examples of this type of construction. Mr. Troutner went on to form Truss Joist Corporation and he would often visit to show clients an example of the beams that his company was constructing. Except for the front portion of the lobby, all the flat roof is added on. The expansions were part of the original plan designed by Mr. Troutner. Mr. Paul Moehlmann, Sr., Master Brick Mason, and several volunteers donated the brickwork for the original structure."