Stunning Old Building In Idaho Was Built With No Nails

Have you been to the oldest building in Idaho? 

It could be a trek if you live in southern Idaho. 

• 382 miles from Boise, Idaho
• 454 miles from Ketchum, Idaho
• 518 miles from Mountain Home, Idaho
• 609 miles from Twin Falls, Idaho

Don't let the mileage stop you from making the trip to the oldest building in Idaho because it's filled with so much history, and that drive will have so much beautiful terrain throughout the state. 

According to the Idaho Parks and Recreation website, the building is so old that it was constructed sometime between 1850 and 1853. They don't have a specific time frame, just a window in which experts can take a very educated guess. The Catholic Missionaries and members of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe built Coeur d'Alene's Old Mission State Park. Loveexploring.com says the church was constructed without nails, "used tin cans for chandeliers, and formed walls using grass, straw, and mud." 

In 1975 the building was reconstructed so visitors could enjoy exploring its history of the building. Today students can take field trips, and couples can get married. The Idaho Parks and Recreation website says that the Mission is available for all weddings regardless of religious background. It also mentions "wedding ceremonies may be held within the Mission, which holds up to 100 guests, or in the West Courtyard where the charm of the landscape is accented by scenic vistas." 

While you're there, you can check out the Coeur d'Alene's Old Mission Sacred Encounters: Father De Smet & the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West, which is a "5,000 sq. ft., $3.26 million exhibit includes artifacts from some of the most important museums in the world." 

It's so cool to go through and look back at the history of the Mission of Sacred Heart.