Hamilton House faces the music

Coeur d'Alene's historic Hamilton House, the potential site for a music conservatory, has 10 days before Kootenai County condemns it.

It will take $500,000 to save it.

After losing the opportunity to lease the 627 Government Way house from the county in June due to a split commissioner vote, the Music Conservatory board and supporting members are looking for donors to purchase the property.

"We were talking about a lease with the commissioners for months, so we were focusing on rent prior to the June decision," said Deborah Mitchell, a local historian. "Then, all of a sudden, you have three months to raise half a million dollars, and that's hard for even established nonprofits to raise."

Mitchell, Cindy Nunn, and the board have held live events to promote the building and draw in investors, but have been unsuccessful. They attribute much of their inability to secure buyers to COVID-19, and now, they are crying out to the community in the 11th hour.

"Our history is quickly vanishing," Mitchell said. "Sherman Avenue used to be lined with beautiful old homes, and now they are gone with condominiums up in their place."

Mitchell, a fourth-generation North Idahoan and volunteer at the Museum of North Idaho, and Nunn, a local author, crossed paths last year after digging into the Hamilton House's rich history. Through their research, they discovered a long list of celebrities who once owned the property.

The two-story, 5,000-square-foot home was constructed in 1908 for Coeur d'Alene's second mayor, Boyd Hamilton, and wife Alta Brown. Since then, the building's keys have passed through the hands of renowned pianist Dean Elder, soprano soloist Agnes Hawkins, and her husband, William Hawkins, a local attorney, prosecutor, and civic leader. Famous opera singer Florence Gregory, Idaho Supreme Court Justice William Mcnaughton, and lawyers also graced the building's hallowed halls.

Due to a failed GoFundMe effort and COVID-19 interruptions, the Hamilton House is miles away from $500,000. Most of the funds raised by the board over the last year have gone into advertising, building a website, hosting concerts, and the multiple $400 insurance payments required by the county for hosting events, Mitchell said.

"I think a lot of donors are fearful of the future right now," Nunn said. "They don't know how secure the economy is going to be, so the timing hasn't been good."

From the stone entryway, wrap-around porch, the warmth of the bedrooms, original glass, and perfect wood floors, Mitchell and Nunn said they are heartbroken that the house they've protected could meet the wrecking ball.

"It's frustrating that so many people all the time are saying they are upset because the county is tearing down our history to build these fancy apartments," Nunn said. "We're offering them an opportunity to save their history, and where are they?"

But Mitchell and Nunn are holding out hope. Ideally, Mitchell said multiple investors or one of Coeur d'Alene's wealthy residents would come forward to buy the property.

If they don't find a source for the $500,000 by Sept. 29, the county plans to use the site to build an office facility or parking lot.