Hummel Architects

Its history extends back to 1890, when architect and contractor John E. Tourtellotte (1869-1939), of Massachusetts established himself in Boise.

Hummel Architects' current practice is based on the design of educational, healthcare and government projects.

[1] In July 2024 existing principals Scott Straubhar and Ed Daniels were joined by five additional principals and one associate: Mandy Boam, Zacharia Lester, Rob Beusan, Brian Coleman, Brian Riopelle and Gwen Andrews.

[2] The firm's work has won design awards from the local and national bodies of the American Institute of Architects and other organizations.

In 1901 he formed the partnership of J. E. Tourtellotte & Company with Charles F. Hummel, a German-born architect who had been working in Boise since 1895.

In 1912 they completed their exceptional work of architectural design / drawings, on the Idaho State Capitol, which was under construction for 15 years, 1905-1920.

The following year of 1913 Tourtellotte moved further west to Portland, Oregon, to establish a second office in the largest city and seaport in the adjacent state with a much larger population and commercial opportunities to draw from for the firm, with Hummel remaining in Boise.

Charles Hummel died in 1939, and three years later in 1942 Frank closed the office for the duration of the Second World War (1939/1941-1945).

[7] Idaho architects Ralph Loring and Benjamin Morgan Nisbet worked for Tourtellotte before establishing their independent practices.

Historian Patricia Wright selected the nominated sites based on a complete review of the firm's work from its founding until its closure during World War II.

[12] In 1987 Wright and Lisa B. Reitzes were the authors of Tourtellotte & Hummel of Idaho: The Standard Practice of Architecture, published by the Utah State University Press, which consists of a history of the firm, details of major works and a complete catalog of projects.

[13] In 2024 Hummel Architects donated their archive, dating back to 1896, to the Idaho State Historical Society.

[14] Charles Frederick Hummel (April 12, 1857 – September 17, 1939) was born in Gernsbach in the former Grand Duchy of Baden, now part of Germany.

He initially worked as a carpenter in Chicago and Saint Paul, Minnesota, before moving on to Tacoma, Washington in 1888.

[8][4] Hummel was instrumental in the passage of an architectural registration law in Idaho in 1917 and served on the board of examiners from 1920 until 1961.

The work he was most proud of was the James A. McClure Federal Building and United States Courthouse (1968), which was NRHP-listed in 2019.

The Administration Building of the University of Idaho , in Moscow, Idaho , designed by J. E. Tourtellotte & Company in the Collegiate Gothic architecture style and completed in 1908.
The Idaho State Capitol in Boise , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Neoclassical / Classical Revival style, architectural design completed in 1913, project under construction 1905-1920.
The Nampa Presbyterian Church , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Gothic Revival style and completed in 1918.
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Romanesque Revival style and completed in 1921.
The Nampa First Methodist Episcopal Church in Nampa , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Romanesque Revival style and completed in 1922.
The former John Jacob Astor Hotel in Astoria, Oregon , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Gothic Revival style and completed in 1924.
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Caldwell , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Romanesque Revival style and completed in 1925.
The Egyptian Theatre in Boise , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Egyptian Revival style and completed in 1927.
The Hotel Boise, now the Hoff Building , in Boise , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Art Deco style and completed in 1930.
The United States Post Office in Weiser , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Colonial Revival style and completed in 1933.
The former Main School in Fairbanks, Alaska , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Art Deco style and completed in 1934.
The Boise Junior High School , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Art Deco style and completed in 1937.
The Gem County Courthouse in Emmett , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Art Deco style and completed in 1938.
The John Regan American Legion Hall in Boise , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Moderne style and completed in 1939.
The Administration Building of Boise State University , designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel in the Collegiate Gothic style and completed in 1940.
Holy Rosary Church in Idaho , designed by Hummel, Hummel & Jones in the Gothic Revival style and completed in 1948.
The James A. McClure Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Boise , designed by Hummel, Hummel, Jones & Shawver in the New Formalist style and completed in 1968.