Work continues to restore Bovill landmark

The city of Bovill lies about 35 miles northeast of Moscow, surrounded by the St. Joe National Forest. Bovill boasts a population of about 256 people, a community center, Elk Saloon, Camas Prairie Winery and the oldest wooden opera house in the state of Idaho.

The Bovill Opera House, at 412 Second Ave., is a distinct landmark. It has unpainted wood clapboard siding and a tall, false front. The building has been a constant in town since construction was finished around 1911 and was in continuous use until the mid- to late- 1950s. It also survived a fire in 1914 which would destroy much of the downtown commercial area.

A project to restore the opera house has been a top priority for the Bovill Improvement Group for almost a decade, according to President Jeremy Ritter. The group is comprised of residents who work to improve Bovill with various renovation and remodel projects.

The building has all the original movie theater chairs, projection equipment and a dance floor on the second level. Currently, the second floor is unable to be used, Ritter said.

People can still visit the inside of the opera house when the snow is not blocking the two side doors. For Bovill Improvement Group Treasurer Sheila Loomis, showing the building is part of keeping its importance in people’s minds. Every year during Bovill Days, the group opens the building for visitors to see inside.

The Bovill Opera House is also a big part of childhood memories for older Bovill residents. The theater in the 1950s was owned by Lloyd Hall, a longtime resident of Bovill; he and his wife would run the theater after World War II. The movies came from Seattle and favorites were often westerns and thrillers. Hall closed the theater in 1955 according to the Bovill Opera House application to the National Register of Historic Places.

“I can remember my mother being in a play at that theater,” Loomis said.

The Bovill Improvement Group’s first big project at the opera house was replacing the roof in early 2015 following two years of fundraising and interior cleanup. The building has sat since, while organizers work to raise more money to fix the ceiling, which has been damaged from years of water damage, and to fix the side walls.

The group has been slowly raising money through the Bovill Days, a community yard sale and other events throughout the year. The Bovill Improvement Group started in the late 1970s according to LeahAnn Brady, a longtime member of the group.

The group started with the goal to grow the city and to build a community out of those still in the town.

One event the group has taken over is Santa Sacks, a yearly tradition to give out gift bags to children, veterans and widows in the community. The bags contain treats like apples, oranges, nuts, candy or other small items. The group would hand out 126 bags in 2022.

The group has seen a drop in members, from 25 at one point to now about 10, but Brady said they are still pushing to raise money for the opera house. Volunteers are always accepted and are currently looking for grants to help with fundraising.

The group aims to keep the inside of the building as close to its original as possible. The building, when fixed up, would become once again a place for the community to gather.

Nelson can be reached at knelson@dnews.com.