As part of the Preservation Honor Awards, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation recognizes milestone anniversaries of local organizations, companies and historic places. In 2020, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (A&B) reaches its sesquicentennial: 150 years since its founding in 1870.
Now primarily a real estate company that owns, operates and manages local properties in Hawaii’s business, industrial and retail communities, A&B was founded as a venture to grow sugarcane in 1870 on Maui. The company has evolved over 150 years from agriculture to include railroads, shipping companies, commercial real estate and other business ventures.
The company’s history page* recounts the story of the founders, Samuel T. Alexander and Henry P. Baldwin:
“In 1843, Samuel Thomas Alexander and Henry Perrine Baldwin, sons of pioneer missionaries, met in Lahaina, Maui. They grew up together, became close friends and went on to develop a sugar-growing partnership that spanned generations and left an indelible mark on Hawai‘ .
Alexander pictured at left and Baldwin on the right.
Alexander was the idea man, more outgoing and adventurous of the two. He had a gift for raising money to support his business projects. Baldwin was more reserved and considered the “doer” of the partners; he completed the projects conceived by Alexander.
After studying on the Mainland, Alexander returned to Maui and began teaching at Lahainaluna High School, where he and his students successfully grew sugarcane and bananas.
Word of the venture spread to the owner of Waihe‘e sugar plantation near Wailuku, and Alexander accepted the manager’s position. He hired Baldwin as his assistant, who at the time was helping his brother raise sugarcane in Lahaina. It was the beginning of a lifelong working partnership.
By 1869, the young men – Alexander was 33, Baldwin, 27 – were ready to launch their own business. Still working at Waihe‘e, they purchased 12 acres of Bush Ranch in the Sunnyside area of Makawao on Maui for $110, to grow sugarcane.
The following year, they paid $8,000 for an additional 559 acres and planted sugarcane on their land, marking the birth of what would become Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.
By 1876, the partners had expanded their sugar acreage and begun to seek a reliable source of water for their crop. Although not an engineer, Alexander devised an irrigation system that would bring water from the windward slopes of Haleakalā to Central Maui to irrigate 3,000 acres of cane on their lands as well as neighboring plantations.
Baldwin oversaw the Hāmākua Ditch project, known today as East Maui Irrigation Company (the oldest subsidiary of A&B), and within two years the ditch was complete. This system would later become a model for similar Hawai‘i irrigation projects.
Over the next 30 years, the two men became agents for nearly a dozen plantations and expanded their plantation interests by acquiring Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company and Kahului Railroad.
In 1883, Alexander and Baldwin formalized their partnership by incorporating their sugar business as the Paia Plantation, also known at various times as Samuel T. Alexander & Co., Haleakalā Sugar Co., and Alexander & Baldwin Plantation.
By the spring of 1900, A&B had outgrown its partnership organization and plans were made to incorporate the company to increase capitalization and facilitate expansion.
The Articles of Association and affidavit of the president, secretary and treasurer were filed June 30, 1900, with the treasurer of the Territory of Hawai‘i.
Alexander & Baldwin, Limited became a Hawai‘i corporation, with its principal office in Honolulu and with a branch office in San Francisco. All the partnership’s assets, valued at $1.5 million, were transferred to the new corporation.
Bylaws were adopted, and nine days later, at a special meeting of stockholders, the Board of Directors that consisted of Joseph P. Cooke, Wallace M. Alexander, James B. Castle, Henry Baldwin and Samuel Alexander (five former partners of A&B agency) elected Henry Baldwin president of the new company.
Shortly after, in 1904, Samuel Alexander passed away on one of his adventures. While hiking with his daughter to the edge of Victoria Falls, Africa, he was struck by a boulder. Seven years later, Baldwin passed away at the age of 68 from failing health.”
The Alexander & Baldwin headquarters building in Honolulu is often listed as one of the most beautiful historic buildings in the Hawaiian Islands. Completed in 1929, the A&B Building on Bishop Street is listed on both the National and Hawai‘i Registers of Historic Places.**
This architectural treasure was designed by C.W. Dickey (a nephew of the founders) and architect Hart Wood, who was a junior partner in Dickey’s firm at the time.
Dickey helped popularize the “Dickey” or “Hawaiian” roof characterized by its high peak, low eaves, widespread and double pitch. Wood is known as a master of ornamentation, and was among those responsible for introducing Asian elements to Hawaiian architecture with various forms and influences.
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- Detail of Alexander & Baldwin Building
When the building opened in 1929, Dickey said:
“My foremost thought architecturally was to produce a building suitable to the climate, environment, history and geographical position of Hawaii. The early history of the sugar industry upon which the firm Alexander & Baldwin was founded was most closely linked with Chinese labor. This, added to the location of Honolulu at the crossroads of the Pacific,…gave sufficient reason for allowing Chinese architecture to influence the design.”
On the interior, the building is graced with large mural decorations executed in art tile. The images represent Maui’s Kahului Harbor and ‘Īao Valley (created by artist Jessie Stanton) and the sailing ship John Ena at Port Allen, Kaua‘i (by artist Einar Peterson).
The artists first painted a picture and then created a full-sized rendering. The picture was marked off in squares and tiles were manufactured to match each square exactly. When installed, the murals were described as “one of the most remarkable pieces of decorative tile work yet produced by any manufacturer.”
Today, Alexander & Baldwin is called Hawaii’s premier real estate company. The company states,
“We’ve been creating special places and experiences for the people of Hawai‘i for 150 years. We strive to be responsible stewards of our environment and make an active difference in our communities. It’s just one way we keep our promise to be Partners for Hawai‘i.”
Sources:
* https://alexanderbaldwin.com/about/history/
** https://historichawaii.org/2014/02/19/alexander-and-baldwin-building/