Sandpoint hasStyle

Walking around Sandpoint it’s evident that this town has style. But what kind is it? Entering Sandpoint from the Long Bridge to First Avenue, a person can witness at least three distinctive architectural styles: brick, log, and contemporary.

Buildings still standing from Sandpoint’s early years, most constructed in the early 1900s, are brick; brick buildings were, and still are, prevalent, some built with bricks made right here in town. Various downtown mercantile stores, the Pine Street annex, and the former St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (now the Heartwood Center) provide an aged brick patina that graces many small towns.

Moving up a few decades, the log look that identified Sandpoint as a lumber town became popular. Sandpoint Community Hall was built in 1935 and, in later years, Pioneer Square and the Cedar Street Bridge were among the new buildings that echoed this log construction.

Lately, a style unlike its predecessors is developing. A modern look is beginning to populate Sandpoint, one that features lots of glass and metal. This change began to appear downtown back in 2007, when the present 90,000-squarefoot, multi-use Columbia Bank building, adding glass and metal to a traditional brick facade, replaced Harold’s IGA grocery store and Cinema 4. A block north, another multi-use project is now nearing completion on the corner of Fifth and Cedar, with Boden Architecture at the design helm. Cedar Street Condos features less brick and more black.

Tim Boden’s team is responsible for many of Sandpoint’s newer building projects. His firm’s approach notably blends the client’s vision while adding to the appeal of Sandpoint being a historical town. Sandcreek Lofts, the condominiums overlooking the marina, were built to reflect its connection with the adjacent Power House’s historic past, and has features for a present and future clientele. Blending the past with the present is also found in the former Belwood’s Furniture building which dates to 1909, now home to Pend d’Oreille Winery and other businesses. The renovation combines old brick with new metal as a means of recognizing the building’s historical place while forging forward. Boden explained that clients Julie and Steve Meyers wanted to take a building that they loved, renovate it, and extend its life another 100 years. Boden is hard pressed to define Sandpoint’s style, yet his team strives to create structures that “must be highly functional as well as beautiful on the exterior and the interior.”

John Dana, of Dana Construction, referred to Sandpoint’s newest style as “Mountain Modern.” He is seeing more cubical construction with metal taking the place of stones to create a clean, uncomplicated look. “The mountain part of it comes in with the use of timbers for both the structure and accents inside and out.”

Dana builds a number of custom homes per year and finds that “homes built in the Sandpoint area are for people who are retired, or about to, and plan on living out the rest of their lives in them.”

In terms of those moving here, Boden believes they “are moving here generally

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for the quality of life that all of us who have been here a while appreciate. We are also seeing people wanting to contribute in a positive way to Sandpoint’s future.”

Blending the past with the present is evident not only in the Belwood building but in other businesses, such as MickDuff’s Brewing Company, which repurposed the former Sandpoint federal building on Second Avenue, built in 1928, remodeling the interior to suit its needs. Evans Brothers house their distinctive coffee offerings in the old Co-Op building, upgrading the interior for a casual ambiance.

Then there are landmarks that keep on keeping on like the Panida Theater, which retains its 1927 Spanish Mission style dignity with a cosmetic upkeep from time to time. And the old City Hall, built in 1910, where a recent remodel retained the fire truck doors, and is working to restablish the original bell tower (and bell), while providing functionality for its new occupants, Sandpoint Music Conservatory.

Throughout Sandpoint it’s evident that change is taking place and not all are embracing the prospect. Harsh graffiti marred the original posted concept plans for the One Bridge Street multi-use project, at First and Bridge, designed to replace the gaping hole left by a 2019 fire that claimed several businesses. A lively exchange on Reddit about the project indicates a number of people are puzzled by the negative attitude

SILVER SPONSORS: sandpoint expressed towards change; they point out how many fought the bypass, yet today it would be difficult to manage without it. Others noted how upscale construction, like Seasons at Sandpoint, adjacent to City Beach, is often priced beyond what the average local resident can afford. And some worry that multi-level construction downtown will only further separate people from its crowning jewel—Lake Pend Oreille—which has precious few access points for locals.

What seems likely, however, is that what happened before will happen again. Sandpoint will embrace its new styles just as it has in the past, and decades from now those buildings will become part of the town’s treasured landmarks.

With all these various building types it’s difficult to succinctly describe Sandpoint’s style. Since Sandpoint is only 125 years old it could be considered to still be in its adolescence and, like any teenager, is experimenting, undecided on its true style. Time, and opinion, will tell.

For those interested, a walking tour brochure of many of Sandpoint’s most notable buildings is available at the Bonner County Museum, or check it out online at www.sptmag.com/ walkingtour.