The Friends of the Portia Club, Inc., is an all volunteer 501(c)3 public charity whose first mission was to restore the historic Portia Club clubhouse. Located at 225 N 9th Street in Payette, the Portia Club was built in 1927 to serve as a women's clubhouse. It is one of the oldest women's clubhouses in Idaho and one of the few built specifically as a clubhouse.  

After painstakingly restoring the Portia Club it was opened to the public in 2011. Today it serves as a community center for non-profit clubs, performing arts, after school and other community based programs. The FPC also rent the Portia Club to fund the ongoing maintenance of the clubhouse.

On January 5, 2018, the deed to 121 N Main was donated to the FPC. It is a good thing we like a challenge. We took on a task that most only dreamed would come to Main Street: to transform a building that has been vacant for three decades and turn it into a beautiful modern structure, while still maintaining its original historic character. With help from our local community, businesses and generous donors we were able to open the space in 2021.

Today, 121 N Main serves as a Start-Up Space for Aspiring Entrepreneurs. That means that someone who is ready to start a business, be it a cobbler, baker or innovative start-up, can use 121 at little cost and without a long term contract. With time to devote to honing their skills and developing their business we hope to give the boost they need to succeed. After a year or two, these entrepreneurs can grow their businesses enough to move to a new location on Main Street and another start-up will have the opportunity to use the building. Over the years, we hope this leads to the development of several profitable enterprises and successful businesses that will stay in Payette to help create more local jobs and a revitalized Downtown.

We hope the restoration of 121 will be the linchpin that drives change. People will want to come downtown to see what is possible. When driving downtown and seeing beautiful, thriving stores it leads to more consumers, a more successful business district and a happy active community.  The restoration also highlights one of Payette's greatest assets – Historic Downtown. 

Thank You All For Your Support!