Built in 1905, the Halbert Fletcher Neal House at 101 West Pine Avenue was in what was known then as the suburbs. It is a two-story building, rectangular in shape, and constructed of cast stone or concrete blocks up to the eaves line, with shaped shingle work that covered the surfaces of the upper wall. A corner turret and hipped roof with flared eaves and double-hung sash windows recall the Queen Anne style, while the entryway’s corner position and turret evoke the earlier Victorian era. Halbert Fletcher Neal and Grace Andrews were married in 1904 and moved from Indianola, Nebraska, to Meridian in 1905. They set up one of Idaho’s first pharmacies and drugstores, with Grace as pharmacist. However, within a year, they abandoned the pharmacy, and Dr. Neal devoted himself full time to his country practice. He was Meridian’s only resident physician for 28 years, was a charter member of the Meridian Masonic Lodge, and helped build the Methodist church. He also served on the school board and city council.

Meridian historian Lila Hill presents the Neal House: