Sandpoint buildings harken back to community's beginning

(This year marks the 100th birthday of two well known buildings in Sandpoint — the  Old Power House building and the old City Hall on Main and Second Avenue. It is fitting that we pay them a visit and congratulate them for still being “alive and kicking” in a time when “progress” often means down with the old and up with the new.)

The first City Hall stood on the east side of Sand Creek near the railroad station. There were signs advertising chewing tobacco and Bull Durham nailed to its walls. It was built in 1904 and the locals called it the “Apple Box.” The growth of Sandpoint from a village to a city is evidenced by the fact that it went from the “Apple Box” to a new City Hall at Second and Main in seven years. This building met the needs of city government until 1994 when the City Council voted to buy the warehouse and office building of Coldwater Creek and the old City Hall was sold.

Wilma Allen, a long-time resident, shares her memories of City Hall in the early days of Sandpoint. “The fire alarm system (a large bell) was in the dome on top of the building. The building housed the city offices as well as the fire and law enforcement offices. The top floor consisted of the library, the mayor’s office, the city clerk, and the offices of other city officials. There was a large area where all city meetings were held and it could accommodate at least 50 people. Back of this large room was the area that accommodated the firemen, those on duty and recreation for those off duty. The police office and the prisoner holding space were located on the bottom floor.”

“The large area (street level) facing Second Avenue housed the fire engines and the chief’s vehicle. There the equipment for the fire department was stored. North of fire station there was a large parking area that extended from the City Hall to the building at the corner of Second and Cedar. This was used by the people coming into town as a place to tie up their horse and wagon, or buggy, to the rails.” 

Linda Hunt recalled in the 1950s, when she was a Girl Scout, going up in the Cupola on City Hall and watching for enemy aircraft. She had various identification charts with her but said she never saw an enemy aircraft but she remembers the times the air force out of Spokane would make practice bombing runs on the long bridge.

Barbara Blood has good memories about the library on the second floor and the women’s lounge that gave the women a place to meet and visit while their husbands were shopping in town. Barbara’s son, Ben, was a fireman and she recalled their living quarters on the second floor as a long row of beds with each man having a closet. She said, “They had a large kitchen and I remember there was a pole that the men slid down to get to the fire trucks. It was a fun place to visit.”

The Power House of the Northern Idaho & Montana Power Company was completed in 1910 at the cost of nearly $200,000. The building was constructed of brick, concrete and steel from the foundation up and the walls between the engine room and boiler room were also made of brick and were 13 inches thick.

The plant furnished electrical power for Sandpoint and the immediate surrounding area. The building was 127x113 feet and was divided into three rooms. A 500 kilowatt, 670 horsepower, Allis-Chalmers engine was used in the power plant.

In later years, after the mode of the transmission of electricity had changed, the old building was used for storage. 1972 saw the old power house being used as the Sandpoint Marina. Winter storage for boats was available as well as the rental of water sports equipment. Today it houses the Festival at Sandpoint, the Pend Oreille Arts Council, and various businesses. It has been remodeled on the inside but the exterior retains much of its appearance of years gone by.