Buildings & Sites
Boehm's Candies
Boehm's Candies: 255 NE Gilman Blvd.,
See
Map
2004 photo provided by Boehm’s
Quaint Alpine Chalet houses Boehm's candy store and manufacturing
facilities
This page and article created by Daphne Steck in January 2005
The Boehm’s Story
Located in downtown Issaquah in an authentic Alpine Chalet, Boehm’s Candies,
Inc. has a history as unique as any of the one hundred and fifty types of
chocolate and other confectionaries manufactured on its premises. Even more
remarkably, the shop still operates with many of the traditions and principles
instilled by its founder Julius Boehm (1897-1981) over sixty years ago.
Boehm—a Vienna-born honored athlete and grandson of a candy maker—fled Austria
to Switzerland in 1939 to escape Hitler’s forces by using his knowledge and
prowess of the often treacherous mountain ranges. He immigrated to the Pacific Northwest
just one year
later. In 1943 he opened his first candy kitchen with his friend George Tedlock
in the north end of Seattle, where the business met significant success. But
Boehm was drawn to the
Issaquah Alps, whose heights and greenery strongly resembled his homeland
terrain. In 1956 he
moved the company to the Issaquah foothills, where he constructed the two
distinctive buildings which still attract town residents and tourists alike: the
Edelweiss Chalet, where the retail store and candy manufacturing plant reside,
and the Alpine Chapel, a stunningly ornate tribute to mountain climbers. The
chalet also includes a second story apartment where Boehm lived during periods
of his life.
Courtesy of Eric Erickson
(Click here for larger version.)
Postcard of Boehm's candy store circa 1960
Boehm became known not only for the quality of his candies but also as a
generous and active member of the Issaquah community and a strong advocate of
his many passions, which included skiing, hiking, mountain climbing, and music.
To recognize his contributions, the City of Issaquah proclaimed August 15, 1978
as Julius Boehm Day. Just a short time later, King Country parks system named
the district swimming pool in downtown Issaquah in his honor. Recently “The
Julius Boehm Pool” was remodeled and is a vital part of the downtown Issaquah
Community Center.
As his final legacy, Boehm set up a corporation that put his company operations
under ownership of several close friends and employees after his death. The
company—including many long-time employees—continues to create the Boehm line of
confectionaries surrounded by the original décor and using its time-honored
manufacturing methods. Amazingly, it is one of three candy kitchens in the
entire country which still hand-dips its own chocolates.
2004 photo provided by Boehm’s
Boehm employees shown hand dipping their chocolate
confectionaries
The Buildings
The “Edelweiss Chalet”, constructed in 1956, was the first Swiss chalet built in
the Pacific Northwest. The original building was designed and built by John
Blomberg, a former employee of Boehm's Candy Kitchen on Ravenna and a friend of
Julius Boehm. Swiss woodworker Walter Shefer, from Alpenzell, Switzerland
designed the woodwork and other Swiss elements to give it the Chalet appearance1.
The chalet is named for the native flower of Switzerland. At ground
level is the candy factory and storefront.
2004 photo provided by Boehm’s
Store interior displays shelves of chocolates and other
confectionaries
The second story contains the
wood-lined apartment, with most
of the original furnishings and décor, where Julius Boehm resided.
2004 photo provided by Boehm’s
Apartment interior still contains many original furnishings
In 1982, the Chapel section opened. It was also designed by Schefer.
Construction began as early as 1980 2. According to the
Issaquah Press, the chapel was built to honor mountaineers. The
chapel is a replica of a Twelfth Century
chapel near Saint Moritz Switzerland.
2004 photo provided by Boehm’s
Chapel exterior nested in Issaquah greenery The chapel interior seats fifty people
and is lavishly decorated. A recreation of Michelangelo’s Creation of Man is
suspended from the ceiling and an elaborate
mural of a fallen mountaineer lines the northern wall. By reservation only, Boehm’s
allows use of the chapel for weddings: an estimated three hundred couples a year
use if for their ceremony site.
2004 photo provided by Boehm’s
Chapel interior with mural of fallen mountaineer
1 E-mail from Diane Camp,
2/16/2006.
2 Issaquah Press,
October 15, 1980, page 2.
Tours
From June 13th through September 4th, 2005, Boehm’s offers a guided tour (by
reservation-only) that takes you through the chalet where Julius Boehm lived,
the candy factory, and the chapel. Throughout the entire year Boehm’s also
provides a self-guided window tour of the candy shop: in this case, visitors can
view the active candy factory from behind glass windows while reading
accompanying explanations provided along the way. For peak activity, visit
Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Factory employers are not producing
candies outside these hours, but you can still check out the various events that
make up a normal day at Boehm’s.
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