HHF volunteer, Lexi Smith, set out to experience the charming architecture and history of Waikīkī’s Gold Coast firsthand. She downloaded HHF’s Historic Homes in Waikīkī Walking Tour Map and followed the self-guided itinerary stopping to sketch and write along the way. Lexi shares her experience and a bit of the history and some of the architecture she encountered in her blog post below.
Note: The self-guided itinerary is suitable for individual travelers rather than group tours, and focuses on sites of historic or cultural significance that are either open to the public or visible from the public way.
The walking tour includes reminders on how to be a good visitor, including not to trespass on private property or to cause any harm to historic sites.
Quaint Architecture, Open Space and Diamond Head Create a Special Neighborhood
By Lexington Smith
The War Memorial Natatorium
The first “living” war memorial in the United States rests where the water meets the land. This Memorial calls for people to interact with the water, whether it is the swimming pool within or the surrounding ocean. The soft pink color of the main entryway, an elaborate sculpture and triumphal arch entablature, catches your eye in the sun’s heat and mutes the city traffic behind. The Memorial is dedicated to those from Hawai‘i who served in World War I. Whether you are spending the day at Kaimana Beach Park or just parking your car off Kalākaua Avenue, The War Memorial Natatorium offers a reminder of those who served.
The Tahitienne
Tucked away at the ends of Kalākaua Avenue, the Tahitienne, a nine-story apartment building rendered in 1950 modern, utilitarian style, stands at the shoreline hidden by trees. Built in 1957, the Tahitienne has served as a home to many for over 60 years and is one of a few functioning co-operative apartments first appearing in the 1950s and early 1960s in Honolulu. The Tahitienne draws you away from the busyness of the city to enjoy a peaceful view of the Pacific.
Adolph Egholm Residence
The Egholm Residence was built in 1926 in the Diamond Head Terraces subdivision. Its Spanish tile roof catches your eye as you pass through rows of cottages. Its style serves as a reminder of the Spanish Colonial Revival style architecture popular in Hawai‘i in the 1920s.
James J.C. Haynes Residence
The James J.C. Haynes Residence, built in 1926, stands out on Kalākaua Avenue with its distinct shingle siding and two-story view. The house is reminiscent of architecture on the Continent and is significant as an adaptation of this Colonial Revival form to Hawaii’s climate.
C.W. Dickey Residence
The C.W. Dickey Residence is eye-catching with its prominent double-pitched hipped roof, wide windows, overhanging eaves and screened openings. The C.W. Dickey Residence was built in 1926 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. With Diamond Head in the background, this cottage stands out as a statement of well-known local architect Charles William Dickey’s Hawaiian style of architecture.
Doctor Frank and Kathryn Plum Residence
Continuing down Kalākaua Avenue, an adorable white cottage constructed by Rodolph Bukeley in Cotswold Cottage style delights all who pass by under the sun. Its asymmetrical roofs intrigue you to look deeper at the key characteristics of the cottage. The arched doorways invite you gently into this picturesque house while the front bay window invite a feeling of relaxation and leisure.
Fred Harrison Rental Property
This property prompts a fantasy of life in a modest house with a white picket fence, red entryway, and neatly trimmed hedges boarding the front. The Fred Harrison house was constructed in 1923 with sloping roofs that highlight green-trimmed windows and a red stairway that guides you to the main side entrance.
Adolph Egholm Kiele Avenue House
The Adolph Egholm House pops out on Kiele Avenue with white walls that reflect the brightness of the day and a red tile roof suggestive of Spanish influence. Built in 1926, the house is a single story, Spanish Mission Revival style cottage with a flat-roofed front porch and rounded archways.
Mrs. Josephine Ketchum Residence
Mrs. Josephine Ketchum’s Residence hides from the chaos of the town with trimmed shrubbery, greenery flowing through the yard, and sloped roofs blending the wooden walls with the ground. The little stone pathway invites you to enjoy traditional craftsmanship from the late 1920s.
Helene Morgan Residence
The Helene Morgan Residence is a Hawaiian style duplex with a pair of double-pitched hipped roofs with overhanging eaves nestled towards the end of the Diamond Head Terrace Subdivision. Nearby Diamond Head rising from the earth, matches the muted color scheme of the residence.
Richard M. Botley Residence
Two windows connect a triangular front to a long rectangular back. White walls are ever-flowing in various shapes and sizes. The Richard M. Botley Residence was built in 1931, designed by noted Honolulu architect Robert Miller, in the Spanish Mission Revival style. Prominent features include a red tile roof and white masonry walls, symbols of Spanish influence.
Kapi’olani Park
While your eyes open to the vast space of greenery and trees, you can imagine why King Kalākaua wanted to dedicate this land as a center of Hawaiian culture and recreation. In the past, the Park was scattered with agricultural cultivation, sustainable fishponds, and coconut groves.
Today, you can enjoy the park through various recreational activities. Whether whistles are blowing for sports practices, people training for the marathon or cycling, or just enjoying the breeze from the Northeast, Kapi’olani Park remains a central location to promote outdoor activity and share remnants from Hawaii’s past.
Source: Historic Hawai‘i Foundation Walking Tour Map: Historic Homes in Waikīkī
Original drawing at top by Lexington Smith.
Lexington Smith is a Junior at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa studying Environmental Design in Architecture with an interest in historic preservation. She enjoys drawing and learning about history and enjoys solving puzzles, sailing and spending time outdoors in her free time.