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 In
1865, Joseph and Temperance Bown homesteaded a 240
acre ranch about three miles east of Boise. In 1879,
they built a two story sandstone house near their log
home. The house had a decorative cupola and front porch.
It became known as the "block house", and
was renowned as the grandest dwelling in Boise's outlying
districts.
Joseph Bown was known as a "venerable and honorable
rancher." Temperance Bown was the teacher for
two or three terms at south Boise's pioneer school.
When the school burned, Mrs. Bown held classes in the
block house until a new school was constructed. Parties
and dances were also held in the block house.
The Bowns raised seven children on their ranch. Daughter
Ella married Orric Cole, who donated the land for the
Cole School site. 
Sandstone blocks used in the Bown House were hauled
from Table Rock Quarry, located north of the house
across the Boise River. The house is built in classic
Italian style, with 20 inch sandstone walls. The
stone made this fortress home warm in the winter
and cool in the summer. The house was built with
a cupola observatory and surrounding widow's walk.
The cupola afforded a good view of Bown's ranch with
its cattle and other livestock.
The site of the Bown House is adjacent to the Oregon
Trail. The family had trekked west on the trail in
1865, and had been attacked by Indians in Colorado.
The house's site has changed dramatically; it is now
incorporated into the campus of Riverside Elementary
School, and is surrounded by a rapidly growing neighborhood
in Southeast Boise. Children from Boise's elementary
schools regularly visit the historic house to get a
glimpse of Idaho's past.
Teacher
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