THE BUILDER

The John C. Rice House was built in 1895 by Mr. Rice, who was the founder and manager of the Canyon Abstract Trust and Commercial Bank. John C. Rice was also a prominent attorney, one of the incorporators of the College of Idaho, an Idaho Legislator, and Caldwell City Mayor before serving on the Idaho Supreme Court from 1917 to 1923.1 The house was originally constructed at 1520 Cleveland Boulevard and is historically and architecturally significant as one of Caldwell's larger Queen Anne style homes.6

Mr. Rice sold the house to Mr. Presley F. Horn in 1919 who owned the home until his death in 1956 when the house was deeded to the Southern Baptist Church. The Church used the house for the next 18 years as a parsonage and for Sunday School classes until it was purchased by Burns Financial in 1982. The house sat empty for several years and became an eye-sore to the neighborhood. Burns Financial was set to demolish the home unless someone purchased and moved the house.2

POST OCCUPANCY

In early 1980 the work of several individuals, specifically Madeline Buckendorf, Orville Collins, and Jennifer Eastman-Attebery resulted in the house getting listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. It was placed on the registry on May 27, 1980.

FIRST MOVE

On November 30, 1983, Richard and Shirley Crowley purchased the home for $10,000 with a plan to relocate and renovate the historic house. The house was a childhood favorite of Shirley (Waterman) Crowley, the sister of Doctor Waterman, a long-time well-known doctor in Caldwell. The house was moved from its original location at the corner of 15th and Cleveland to the corner of College and Oak Street near the College of Idaho. The Crowleys spent a considerable amount of time working on house but never saw it to completion.3

In 2006, The Crowleys in their elder years, offered the John C. Rice House to the College of Idaho on the condition the house was restored and used as a “guest house” for visiting dignitaries to the College. The College thought the property alone, without the house, was of greater utility to the College than the property with the house on it.4

MAJOR RENOVATION

In March of 2009 Shirley Crowley passed away and Richard no longer had the motivation to work on the house. On September 30, 2011, Richard Crowley sold the John C. Rice House to Jennifer Elliot for $1.00 on the condition she completed the house, because “that is what Shirley wanted.” Jennifer started renovating the property until an illness in the family caused her to relocate to another state, halting her efforts. She eventually sold the property to the College of Idaho in 2014.

STATE OF DECAY

The John C. Rice House has remained unoccupied for more than 40 years and remained untouched in a blighted condition for more than 10 years and continues to deteriorate. Vandals have entered the house and caused substantial damage to the original doors and windows, even starting small fires in certain areas of the house.

1. Idaho Press Tribune
2. Crowley Family Archives
3. Recorded Deed
4. College Correspondence
5. Recorded Deeds
6. National Registry of Historical Places