EDITORIAL: Roosevelt Inn still standing strong, but it almost wasn't
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 8 months AGO
The Roosevelt Inn, a much-loved 1905 brick building that was once thee Roosevelt School, will remain standing well into the future.
For that, we thank the community, Blue Fern Development, Coeur d'Alene's Historic Preservation Commission and most of all, thank Steve and Marie Widmyer.
It was just last year, the historic structure was faced with demolition after Blue Fern came to terms with John and Tina Hough to buy the Roosevelt Inn. They didn't plan to continue operating it as a bed and breakfast. Plans called for clearing the ground on Wallace Avenue for townhouses.
When The Press reported this, there was much public outcry and the city of Coeur d'Alene got involved to try to protect the Roosevelt. Blue Fern Development, based in Redmond, to its credit was willing to listen and willing to change its plans. It recognized the community's desire to save the Roosevelt and worked with the Houghs, and then with the Widmyers, and the city, to find a way to do just that.
Over the decades, Coeur d'Alene has lost a lot of its history, which isn't surprising as progress doesn't stand still and old buildings often don't fit well with the future. But some pieces of the past are our roots and remain with us today thanks to vision, persistence and fundraising.
For instance, the J.C. White House of 1903 was moved from Eighth Street and Sherman Avenue in 2019 to house the Museum of North Idaho at McEuen Park at the base of Tubbs Hill. A few million dollars worth of renovations later, it is fittingly home to local history.
The 1908 Hamilton House was on the brink of destruction a few years ago before then-Coeur d'Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer and Windermere/Coeur d'Alene Realty Inc. owner Donald "Pepper" Smock stepped in. They bought the property for $500,001 from Kootenai County. Today, it serves as the home of the Music Conservatory of Coeur d’Alene.
Who doesn't like a good success story? And now, we have another.
We are fortunate to have people like the Widmyers who love their community, have a heart for history and see the value in protecting it. The past, they understand, is part of our present and must be part of our future.
We don't know how close the Roosevelt Inn came to meeting the wrecking ball. But we do know that thanks to many who got involved to save the Roosevelt Inn, the link between past and present in Coeur d'Alene remains strong.