19th century Boise was dotted by John Lemp buildings — and you should have seen his house

“John Lemp’s new house on Grove Street will be a large, fine structure,” reported the Statesman on Oct. 24, 1874. “He has torn his plan of repairing the old house all to pieces, after nearly completing the work, and built a brick foundation well up from the ground, on which he is erecting a handsome, commodious building.”

On Dec. 22, 1874: “Fine Dwelling House. Mr. John Lemp’s magnificent dwelling house on Grove Street is nearly completed. Mr. Geo. Englehart has done the carpenter work in the finest style; in fact it is perhaps the best-finished dwelling in the Territory. There is a large parlor, dining room, kitchen with pantry and two bed rooms on the ground floor. Jake Welch is doing the paper hanging and painting.”

In April 1875: “FINE RESIDENCE. Mr. John Lemp has moved into his new residence on Grove Street. This is one of the finest residences in this country and is a credit to the carpenters who did the woodwork, Mr. George Englebard and Fred Beckhard. On entering the front door you find yourself in a hall 7 feet wide extending back 24 feet to the stairs; the width of the hall from the stairs back is four feet. The parlor is directly to the right as you enter the hall, facing west, size 16 by 19, gilt paper. The dining room is also large, 12 by 10, and elegantly finished. Next in order follows the kitchen which is 14 by 14, with a pantry 4 by 6, sink, etc. Facing east is the family bedroom, which is 14 by 20, a splendid room. There are also three small bedrooms 7 by 8 for children, downstairs and a bathroom 6 by 10. The upstairs is not yet finished, but there is to be six rooms up there.

“In the rear of the building there is a summer kitchen and wash house, size 14 by 20. On entering this beautiful house what strike’s one’s attention most perhaps, is the painting, which has been done in the highest style of the art, by Mr. Jake Welch. The woodwork in the hall and dining room and doors are grained oak.”

When gold was discovered at South Mountain in Owyhee County in 1875, John Lemp had a brewery up and running in June.

On April 11, 1876, the Idaho Tri-weekly Statesman observed: “John Lemp, director of the First National Bank, is well known to fame as the ‘Beer King of Idaho’ and is one of our wealthiest citizens, and at present Mayor of Boise City.” A week later: “Yesterday, after a long walk, it being quite warm, J. L., the Beer King of Idaho, was induced to take a drink of water. The look of disgust with which he said, ‘Water will do very well for irrigating and mill purposes, but for a drink it is too thin,’ was quite comical.”

The 1880 U.S. Census reveals why the Lemps needed that new house with three small bedrooms for children. John was 42, his wife Kate was 30, and their eight children were Emil, 13, George, 11, Lizzie, 10, Augusta, 9, twins Ada and Ida, 5, Albert 3, and William, 9 months.

In March 1881, John Lemp added a story to his wholesale liquor building on Main Street, making it his third two-story brick building downtown, and in October that year he started Boise’s first three-story brick building on the south side of Main Street. When it was finished in February 1882, Idaho Gov. J.B. Neil moved his office there, making Lemp his landlord.