735 E Jefferson St

Siting and Setting Description: The property lies within Boise’s East End on an angled street grid, fronting E Jefferson Street. A lawn and planted borders separate the house from the Jefferson sidewalk. A concrete walk leads to the offset enclosed entrance. The rear yard is fenced, with an alley-facing garage. The boundary shared with the Straughan residential group has not been confirmed. The applicable neighborhood development era is not documented in the supplied record. Main House Description: The house at 735 E Jefferson Street appears to occupy a mid-block lot; its boundary with the Straughan group remains unconfirmed. Its principal façade faces northeast, fronting E Jefferson Street. The construction date is unknown. The apparently wood-frame house has a one-and-one-half-story front-gabled form and an offset enclosed entrance projection. Foundation material is not evident. Its irregular footprint results chiefly from this projecting entry and lower rear volumes. Asphalt shingles cover the steep main gable, a horizontal roof skirt across its base, and the smaller hipped entry roof. Broad horizontal lap siding covers the lower walls, while wood shingles distinguish the upper front gable. The lap-siding substrate is unresolved. A paired upper window interrupts the roof skirt. Below, a tall sash with shutters balances the entrance enclosure, whose broad window and glazed door create an asymmetrical front. Concrete steps rise to the doorway. The preliminary recommendation is contributing, subject to the review described below. Character-Defining Features: – Overall Massing: A tall, narrow front gable dominates the cottage. The low entry enclosure projects from one side of the façade, while the broad roof skirt creates a horizontal division beneath the upper gable. – Roof Form and Details: The steep front-gabled roof has plain projecting rake trim. A shallow roof skirt extends across the lower gable and is interrupted by the paired upper window. A small hipped roof covers the entry enclosure. Visible roof surfaces have asphalt shingles. – Cladding Materials: Wood shingles in staggered courses cover the front gable. Broader horizontal lap siding covers the lower walls and rear gable; its substrate cannot be determined securely. Flat trim marks the transition at windows and corners. – Fenestration and Window Details: Two narrow upper sash form a paired opening in the front gable. A tall lower sash is flanked by shutters, while a broad rectangular window occupies the entrance projection. Window-frame materials and the assembly of the upper glazing divisions remain unresolved. – Porch or Entry Treatment: The enclosed entrance has its own low hipped roof and a broad front window. Concrete steps lead to a door with grouped upper lights. Its small scale and glazed frontage suggest a porch enclosure, but that construction sequence is not confirmed. – Style Elements: The steep front gable, roof skirt, paired upper sash, and contrasting shingle field provide the house’s principal decorative character. The evidence supports a vernacular front-gabled cottage description without requiring a more elaborate stylistic label. Summary of Known or Observed Alterations: – Unknown date: The glazed entrance projection appears to be an enclosed porch or later vestibule. Its date and earlier open configuration are not documented. – Unknown date: Broad lap siding on the lower walls may represent recladding. The photographs do not identify the substrate or establish the previous wall finish. – Unknown date: The rear garage has a broad sectional overhead door and uniform lap finish; their dates and relationship to an earlier accessory building remain unresolved. Garage Description: The probable detached rear garage is one story and rectangular, with a front-gabled asphalt-shingle roof. One broad sectional overhead door has a row of small upper lights and an apparent two-car width. Horizontal lap siding covers the walls and gable, with plain corner and door trim; the substrate is unresolved. A small rectangular vent occupies the gable, and a concrete apron meets the alley. IMG_2841 places the house behind the garage and fence, supporting the association. The garage’s date relative to the house and contribution remain pending. Its current door and finish do not establish whether the entire structure is recent.