Address
99 North King Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
TMK
117002007
SHPD Historic Site Number
Abstract
The Liberty Bank built in 1952, is located on corner of King and Maunakea Streets in Honolulu’s Chinatown, a historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The structure is a three-story, plus penthouse former bank building designed in a Modern style by renowned architect, Vladimir Ossipoff. The bank is significant on the local level under criterion C, as a good example of a bank building constructed in Honolulu during the 1950s in a modern style with Chinese undertones and an excellent example of Ossipoff’s commercial architecture. The use of such materials as terrazzo, concrete brick, stainless steel, and apitong (a hardwood from Southeast Asia) in lieu of koa all bespeak the period and exhibit a high degree of craftsmanship. The bank is also significant at the local level under Criterion A for its associations with the history of banking in Hawai‘i, by being the headquarters of the second, and most prominent, bank in Honolulu catering to the Chinese population of the city, and for many years the third oldest bank in Hawai‘i.
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.