By Christine Thomas 
It rests on a typical dead-end street, painted a TK color. Occasionally James Budde mows the front lawn of his 1940s-era home, purchased in 1995, and Madeleine nurtures an orchid collection in the back. It’s an oasis away from Kailua’s now-bustling town center, where President Obama vacations and many tourists now flock. But its story began well before the Buddes moved in—back when soldiers from nearby Fort Hase (now Marine Corps Base Hawaii) stopped here to withdraw and deposit money.
The Budde’s home was built not as a residence, but as a bank situated right along what was once the main road to the base. But come the 1960’s, when Kailua had developed into a robust residential town and the Marine Corps Base Hawaii built a new road into the base, the bank closed. The structure remained and became a personal residence, and the street grew quiet and forgotten. The Buddes wanted to find out how.
Uncovering the Past
The Buddes never changed the integrity of their home’s structure–they didn’t even consider it—even though their kitchen once housed a bank vault. “The house just speaks for itself,” says Madeleine.
But in 2014, Madeleine realized the house could potentially qualify as a historic home. She turned to the Historic Hawaii Foundation for help determining their home’s eligibility for the State Register of Historic Places and potential property tax reduction status.
“They had so much knowledge about everything,” says Madeleine. “The staff at Historic Hawaii Foundation came in and connected us with Dr. Don Hibbard, who was so easy to work with.” When Hibbard, an architectural historian and educator, looked at the house he confirmed its historic status and lead the process to present the home to the State on the Buddes behalf. The nomination was approved and the house is now officially listed on the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places.
The tax exemption was a significant motivator for the Buddes, and they are comfortable with the accompanying limitations on any modifications they may later want to make to their home. But above all the Buddes feel an urge to keep the home from being developed in the future, especially as they watch Kailua’s landscape and population grow and change today.
“As new mega-box places pop up, I feel it’s important to have historic places,” says Madeleine. “You can feel the past when you walk into these homes.”
Kailua residents may not remember the bank that once served the Fort Hase soldiers (or that MCBH was once called Fort Hase after it was purchased from Kaneohe Ranch), but the house will remain as a starting point for those journeying back into the history of this once-sleepy beach town.