Pocatello church getting a face-lift

Even if you just drive past Mountain View Cemetery, it’s hard not to notice the cemetery’s lone church.

Built to memorialize former Idaho governor and U.S. senator James Brady by his family, the Brady Church was dedicated to him on Memorial Day in 1922. At first the church was open to the public, but then nearly 40 years later the church’s doors were locked and it started being used for storage.

Since the building has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, the Pocatello Historic Preservation Commission is looking to restore the church to its original glory.

“Buildings provide us with a sense of place and a sense of history that this is where we belong,” said HPC staff liaison Terri Neu. “That this is an important town.”

So far on the project’s list is replacing the roof’s finials with new stone carvings. The new carvings have already been made, but the HPC is still figuring out how to get them on the church. Neu said the HPC is looking into installing a heating system in the church to help slow stone degradation.

The HPC is also searching for the church’s original pews, particularly because the pews were designed for the Brady Church specifically. Right now two are in the church, but many have been given away.

While the restoration is in its beginning stages, there’s one goal in mind— give people more chances to go inside the church. Right now the church is only open for four hours on Memorial Day.

“There’s talk among the HPC of having it open maybe one Saturday a month for a couple hours so people can come in and see it,” Neu said. “We would like to be able to start renting it out for funerals and we’ve actually had some people ask about having weddings.”

If you have any information on the location of the church’s pews, you can contact Neu at 208-234-6500. If you happen to own one, Neu said the HPC is willing to have a plaque put on the pew to show who donated it.

Anyone interested in helping or donating to the restoration effort can also contact Neu.