Preservation Month: “Beautiful Burbank Street”

How Our Neighborhood Helps Preserve Nu‘uanu History

by Corinne W.L. Ching  O‘ahu

“We celebrate the past to awaken the future.” – John F. Kennedy

Could you find a better silver bullet than historic preservation for a community’s needs?  In my experience, purchasing our historic home has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.  Living in a historic home is a privilege, a chance to live in a treasure that past generations loved and cherished. The art within architecture speaks volumes embodying values of thoughtfulness, restraint, consideration and tradition… values we often miss in today’s hurried world.

Living on a street with historic homes, like our Burbank Street in Nu‘uanu, is indeed the dream we hoped it would be, a time capsule in a modern world. A place where passersby smile, gaze or point at their favorite homes, basking in shade of grand trees and green setbacks with fine attention to detail.  We’ve become accustomed to the many artists and photographers who frequent our neighborhood to capture the unique design and spirit of our homes.

I wonder if like begets like, do gracious people gravitate to gracious spaces, or do these gracious homes simply bring out a bit more kindness in people?  Either way, our street is a thoughtful little place.  Homes are kind and neighborly with their handcrafted details, double hung windows, open design, and occupants that somehow match.  After all the curveballs, trials and tribulations to reach here, I pinch myself looking around, seeing my life in this little oasis, a street preserved-in-time which reminds me of a Hawai‘i version of the 1940s Ozzie and Harriet.

A little background on Burbank Street, a hallmark for heritage, history and childhood memories: It was originally part of the estate of Mary Burbank, one of the first librarians in the first public library, Honolulu Library, on O‘ahu and the daughter of prominent lawyer and later judge, Samuel Burbank. Mary Burbank was recognized as one of Hawaii’s oldest kama‘āina and honored as a true Daughter of the American Revolution by the Aloha Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution in 1937. Her estate was later sold as the Burbank Tract to kama‘āina families, including the Wilcox and Waterhouse families. The Waterhouse family is linked to the founding of the department store chain Liberty House and Amfac, Inc. originally H. Hackfeld and Company, a land development company on Merchant Street.  It was said that Mother Waterhouse who lived around the corner on Wyllie Street enjoyed this area because she could see her family’s ships arrive in the harbor from the second floor of her home.  She also founded the nearby school Ma’ema’e as a private kindergarten, later bringing it into the public school system during the Territory years. A friend of hers, Queen Lili‘uokalan,i was said to have read to the children from a swing which hung from the monkey pod tree that still stands today.

These beautiful, considerate historic homes on Burbank lend themselves to community with their lanais and smaller scale.  Neighbors have warm, friendly exchanges and can be seen generously sharing the bounty from their fertile yards.  Each yard and personality seems to specialize in something – be it papaya, pomelo, kumquat, star fruit, avocado, dragon eye or some other garden treat… It’s a true old Hawaii feel. It’s always “Hele mai ai!” – getting together during the year, celebrating the holidays with Easter egg hunts for the kids and this year’s Christmas caroling replete with horse and carriage.  We help each other, whether it be advice or a helping hand. Families here rarely give up a home, for they have too many fond childhood memories climbing grand old trees, picking (sometimes pelting) fruit and catching crayfish in the Waolani Stream on the ewa side. You’ll find it’s a quiet, peaceful street with of course, the daytime exception of children calling to each other, “Come and play!”, the buzz and chip of lawn mowers of the ever conscientious “Burbank Garden Club” members, the quack of ducks flying overhead, or the whimper of a Dalmatian pup. The vibe is ‘chill’ and friendly, yet most always well informed. 

And all of this is possible thanks to this graciously built oasis with a currently preserved environment, created by designers who lived in a different time with different expectations.  I do believe historic preservation continues to be the silver bullet we’re searching for in today’s troubled, frenetic world.

Corinne Ching and her husband Stuart Lerner, are the proud owners of a home on Burbank Street.  Corinne was a state representative in the Hawaii State Legislature between 2002 and 2012. Corinne’s daughter, Anna Lauren Lerner, helped with this article.  (Photo credits: Leslie Puu-Robinson and Debbie Brown.)