NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jennifer Yribar, Outreach & Education Coordinator
208.608.7051 | jyribar@cityofboise.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.boiseartsandhistory.org
May 31, 2018
Former Erma Hayman Home Conveyed to City of Boise
Boise – The City of Boise is proud to announce the acquisition of the property located at 617 Ash Street, the former home of longstanding resident Erma Andre Madry Hayman (1907 – 2009).
Boise City Council authorized the conveyance of the approximately 900 square-foot home between Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC) and the City of Boise on May 1, 2018. The property was transferred to the City on May 15, 2018.
Erma Hayman was born in 1907, the twelfth of thirteen children. She grew up in Nampa and played piano in the family band led by her father. Erma married Navy Madry and raised three children. Navy died of leukemia in 1935, leaving 28-year-old Erma a widow. In 1943, Erma married Lawrence Hayman and they purchased the stone house at 617 Ash Street. To learn more about Erma’s impressive life story, please visit https://www.boiseartsandhistory.org/programs/cultural-sites/hayman-house.
The Hayman House is a one-story residence constructed in 1907, two years after the Lover’s Lane (now known as Pioneer Walkway) Addition was platted. Though its builder is unknown, its sandstone material is similar to the Idaho Capitol Building constructed in the same time frame.
The historic River Street Neighborhood where the house sits was a working-class section of the city and home to many immigrants including Asian, Greeks, and Basques. By the 1930s, the neighborhood housed about 80 African American families. The Hayman family arrived there in the 1930s, and Erma Hayman lived in the house until her death in 2009.
The preservation and interpretation of 617 Ash Street are critical components for representing those whose stories are often omitted from standard historical research. When completed, Ms. Hayman’s home will inform the public about the history of 617 Ash Street, its residents, and the River Street Neighborhood. Through ongoing neighborhood engagement and collaborative programming, the new cultural site will be reflective of its period of significance (1930s), the diverse community voice of the River Street Neighborhood, and encourage storytelling through public art, interpretive signage, and cultural programs and events.
Being the most livable city in the country includes preserving and protecting our cultural heritage. The City of Boise’s Department of Arts & History is committed to caring for and providing access to the City’s historical and cultural assets. The Hayman House will be a place-based, community-driven, fully-accessible cultural and historic resource for exploring Boise’s historic and contemporary Black and immigrant communities living in Boise, Idaho.
About the Boise City Dept. of Arts & History
The Department of Arts & History's mission is to enhance Boise by providing leadership, advocacy, education, services, and support for arts and history in order for people to create, engage and connect with the community. More information: www.boiseartsandhistory.org
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