The Olund House is significant for its association with the development of the Dowsett Tract through the 1920s. In the early 1900s, Pali Road was completed and officially connected the windward side of the island with downtown Honolulu. There was a trolley that traveled from Waikiki into Manoa Valley along Oahu Avenue, and another that traveled along Nuuanu Avenue from town into the Nuuanu Valley. The development of the Pali Road allowed for greater accessibility into the valley, and made the subdivision of the Dowsett Tract possible. At that time, there were already two reservoirs in place in Nuuanu Valley, and a third one was under construction. With the area’s water system development, it further supported the lifestyles of those living in the valley area. This area was one of the first on Oahu to be developed as a residential subdivision. The Dowsett Tract was 273 acres of land in Nuuanu Valley.
The architecture of the Olund House is also significant. The house is of high artistic value and was the first or one of the first concrete slab-on-grade residential buildings built in Hawaii. Moreover, it holds distinctive characteristics of a type, period, and method of construction of Spanish revival style.
This list of Hawaii’s historic properties is provided as a public service by Historic Hawaii Foundation. It is not the official list of properties designated on the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places. For official designations and determinations of eligibility, contact the State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources of the State of Hawaii at 808-692-8015.
