‘People love Betty’: Quirky Boise Bench icon wins ‘landmark’ decision

The Boise City Council ironed out any question of Betty the Washerwoman’s historical significance on Tuesday: She’s a landmark.

After 70 years on Vista Avenue, council members unanimously agreed to grant the animatronic sign protection for posterity at its post between Overland Road and Kootenai Street on the Boise Bench.

The sign, which depicts laundress hard at work over a washtub, was built for the Econo-Wash/Maytag Laundry circa 1959, according to Richard Jarvis, senior historic preservation planner. It’s hallmark style — metal and moving — was common in the middle of the century, Jarvis said. And, he added, its enduring presence come to symbolize the post-World War II boom of the Boise Bench.

Beyond that, the sign has since gained “sufficient significance” to warrant the landmark designation, Jarvis told the council. In October, the city’s Historic Preservation Commission recommended Betty receive that status.

With the vote, Betty joins rare company. Boise has 20-30 landmarks on the books, according to Ashley Molloy, a resident of the Bench and co-chair of the Historical Preservation Commission. But Molloy found only two others on the Bench: the Depot and Temple Beth Israel. The Historic Preservation Commission spearheaded the application to both preserve Betty and recognize the Bench’s role in Boise history.

“People love Betty — I think it’s clear that everybody loves Betty,” Molloy said.

Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton praised the step, as well as the commission’s “proactive” approach bringing it about.

“I’m a third-generation Boisean, and I know that my grandpa drove by that place, probably when it was the original business,” he said. “I know that my mom has probably seen Betty through all the different businesses as well. … I’m glad we were able to add an extra designation that will ensure its preservation for years to come.”

The designation only applies to the sign, not the attached building, which houses Americana Pizza.

“She will always stand,” Mayor Lauren McLean said, “and it sounds like we can still dress her however we want.”

This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 5:20 PM.