‘Betty Matters’: Could the iconic moving sign on Vista be a local landmark?
On a busy avenue stretching from the airport to downtown, Betty the Washerwoman is always doing chores. Her animatronic post-World War II body repetitively washes clothes day in and day out, high above the passing cars near the intersection of Vista Avenue and Overland Road.
She was built in the late 1950s for the “Econo-Wash/Maytag Laundry,” though she’s taken a few absences over the years for repairs. Now, the Historic Preservation Commission is hoping she’ll be there forever.
The Boise City Council on Tuesday scheduled a public hearing for Jan. 27 in the Boise City Council chambers on whether Betty should be a local landmark.
“This is not a process that we undertake very often,” Historic Preservation Commission Chair Geoffrey Parks said during an Oct. 27 meeting. The commission, which applied for the designation, unanimously recommended to the council that Betty be made a landmark.
It’s unclear what threats Betty may face if she isn’t preserved. But the request for landmark status nodded to the potential of “future development pressures” in a growing city. Vista Avenue is one of a few streets selected for denser development as part of the city’s new zoning code.
Local landmark status would mean most exterior changes would require a historic design review, city spokesperson Maria Ortega said in an email. The city has purview over 26 landmarks, including the Boise Depot and the Bishop’s House, Ortega said.
The building houses Americana Pizza after Cucina di Paolo, a longtime Italian restaurant, shuttered its doors in 2024 and put the building and Betty up for sale. Jay Story bought them, and he owns them through his business Betty the Boss LLC. He gave permission to designate Betty as a landmark.
For some, Betty brings a powerful feeling of nostalgia for what once was in a time of intense change and population growth.
“She is one of the most iconic symbols of Boise. She is amusing and memorable and reminiscent of another time. Please protect her!” Beverly Sherman wrote to city staff in response to the application. Eva Marosvari wrote that Betty was one of the last of the “wonderful places, and heartfelt memories” that no longer line the street.
Nancy Thornton concluded her message with a simple thought: “Betty Matters!”
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
