Jewett House to close for renovations

Major renovations are in store for Coeur d'Alene's Jewett House on Lakeshore Drive. The 7,000-square-foot senior recreation center will be closed Sept. 15-30 while $35,000 in upgrades are performed.

Renovations include taking up the old carpet on the first floor, stairways and second story entryway and restoring the original wood flooring, said Coeur d'Alene Recreation Director Steve Anthony.

Other improvements include repainting the first floor interior and widening the circular driveway to accommodate handicap parking and emergency service vehicles. An anonymous $50,000 donation will pay for the upgrades. The remaining $15,000 will be used for future upkeep, including exterior painting.

"It's all part of the city's ongoing commitment to the Potlatch Corporation and the Jewett family to maintain the facility," Anthony said. Potlatch gifted the lakefront house to the city in 1917.

Earlier this year, a chain-link fence was replaced with a wrought-iron fence in front of the Jewett House and a natural gas boiler was replaced.

Anthony said the city supplements maintenance and upkeep costs with money generated from weddings at the house, which have increased since the city began allowing alcohol by permit last year. There were five more weddings this year compared to last year, he said.