The Heath Building 176 S. Capitol Blvd.

The Heath Building is the original site of an 1860s cabin occupied by the Boise Sheriff. Later, a house was built on the site and deeded by the mayor to Dr. Pefferle, one of the city’s first dentists. After this, the house was the residence of Idaho’s chief justice; a boarding house for Basque sheepherders; and in one cryptic period near the turn of the century, rumored to be the center of Boise’s red-light district. In 1939, the home, which had expanded greatly through the years, was torn down to make way for a service station. The wrecking crew was startled to find a log cabin—the original 75-year-old structure—standing intact within the rambling house. Call it a case of, literally, unraveling a mystery!