HistoricHawaii

The season of spooks and chicken-skin moments has arrived! Halloween in Hawai‘i is full of wonder, mystery, legends, and ghost stories. On camping trips growing up, we all remember hearing about the Night Marchers for the first time and we could have sworn seeing the light of torches and hearing distant chanting at one time or another. Maybe it's hard to recall exactly who we heard it from first, but everyone knows to never mess with Pele, the Goddess of Fire. We were warned not to bring pork across the Pali Highway after listening to stories about the mysterious and haunting incidents that befell those who did. And haven't you been haunted by the obake and bakemono of Japanese folklore?  One of Hawai‘i's commanding ghost storytellers, Glen Grant, remarked in his book, Obake Files: Ghostly Encounters in Supernatural Hawai‘i, “I thought about the presence that I had felt at my right shoulder during the ceremony and held back my tears, as we drove through the mystic Kohala night under the lunar bow. From that time forward, I realized that I could never look upon the supernatural tales that I was gathering in a wholly objective light.” Whether or not you believe in ghosts or supernatural entities, we can all recall a moment in our lives that made us wonder. It seems as though historic buildings and scary ghost stories go hand in hand with one another. Over the years, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s staff has heard of ghostly activity in our office building in the Dole Cannery and at other historic places in Hawai‘i (to remain unnamed!) that send shivers down our spine. Halloween may be different this year, but one way you can still get [...]

At Historic Hawai‘i Foundation's Annual Meeting in August, four additional members were elected to the Foundation's Board of Trustees. We are delighted to welcome them and as a preliminary introduction, each of them responded to a brief Q&A. Linda D. Chiu, MD Dr. Linda Chiu Linda has a private medical practice in Kailua, O‘ahu and specializes in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and pediatric otolaryngology. She is affiliated with Castle Medical Center. An avid traveler and photographer, Linda enjoys learning about the histories and cultures of destinations across the globe. Her wide-ranging interests encompass photography, collectable figurines and graphic novel-themed art, and archaeology. Linda's community service includes medical missions to perform cleft lip, head and neck surgeries in Laos, The Philippines, Honduras and Mexico. She serves on the Boards of Directors for the Physicians Exchange of Honolulu and the Ko‘olau Federal Credit Union. HHF: Can you name a favorite historic place in Hawai‘i? What makes it special to you? Linda: Pearl Harbor. The global impact of this site and the events that transpired there have always reminded me of what is truly important. HHF: What’s the latest thing that has inspired you? Linda: The current COVID pandemic has been an inspiration as we have had to adapt and modify our lives to survive. HHF: What are you most proud of? Linda: My medical missions abroad to provide pro bono surgical care for those with facial deformities is something of which I am very proud. Juliette M. Cooke, RN Julie Cooke (on right) Julie is a nursing professional with 15 years of hospice and palliative care experience. She is a graduate of Hawai‘i Pacific University (RN) and University [...]

Preserving Hawai‘i’s timeless places of history and heritage is essential to sustain our communities and quality of life. Today during these turbulent times, it is evident that places from the past are important sources of inspiration and lasting beacons of hope.  Places of history and heritage hold our memories, honor our ancestors, and provide us with a deep sense of belonging to the place we call home. Historic places inspire us with stories of perseverance and strength in the face of adversity. Yet, in spite of their value, historic places are under constant threat of demolition or lack of stewardship and are in need of help to protect them.

When considering examples of adaptive reuse in the Islands, one worth noting is Isaacs Art Center at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy (HPA) in Waimea on West Hawai‘i.  The Center showcases a vibrant collection of some of Hawai‘i’s most celebrated artists housed in “Building N”, the original schoolhouse from Waimea School that was built in 1915. The Center originated from an annual auction that was launched in 1974 to raise funds for HPA's nascent scholarship program. Prominent families such as the Isaacs donated works of art to support the effort and the auction quickly became the go-to event to acquire important works by Hawai‘i artists. Once HPA began to look for a brick-and-mortar gallery, Thomas Quinlan, president of the Waimea Preservation Society and board member of HHF, and members of the Waimea Community Association presented a unique proposal; finding a new home for the beloved Building N in order to preserve it.  The conversation led to a community call to action to help relocate and restore the building for its  new purpose.* After an 18-month restoration, Isaacs Art Center opened in 2004, and received a Preservation Honor Award from Historic Hawai‘i Foundation for its rehabilitation the following year.  The schoolhouse was named to the State Register of Historic Places in 2003 and to the National Register in 2005.  Also in 2005, the Center was named custodian of the largest collection of works by internationally acclaimed artist Madge Tennent, giving it distinction as one of the finest public collections of Hawaiian art in the state.  Today, the Center thrives as a place to share, educate and appreciate fine art by established and emerging Hawai‘i artists, while supporting HPA and its students. Taking proactive steps to maintain the 105-year [...]

Two grants facilitated by Historic Hawaii Foundation help fund the restoration In 2014, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (PHAM) received an HHF Historic Preservation Grant of $100,000 to restore the Aerological Tower at the Ford Island Control site. Funding was used to restore historic windows and doors; to refurbish exterior and perimeter walls, flooring, and ceiling; and restore electrical conduits for interior lighting.  This project, finished in 2017, completed the restoration of the Tower and enabled a preliminary exhibit to be set up inside. A second grant was used to repair and restore all windows that could be salvaged on the second floor of the Operations Building at Ford Island Control Tower. Broken glass was replaced with plexiglass; window settings were repainted; and corroded hinges were repaired.  Restoration of these windows was a critical step to stabilize the historic structure. This project was part of Phase I of PHAM's preservation plan which addressed interior renovations on the first floor, installation of air conditioning and electrical lines, and the installation of restrooms.  Phase I was completed in 2019. PHAM reports that the final phase of the restoration is near completion. The installation of an elevator to the observation deck enables visitors to view Pearl Harbor from the historic landmark and imagine the moment of the WWII attack that changed the course of history.  A virtual viewing from the deck was shown during the 75th Commemoration of the End of World War II Ceremony held on September 2nd.  An opening ceremony to officially launch public access to the Tower is reported to be scheduled at a later date. The historic Ford Island Operations Building Aerological Tower is a reminder of a pivotal moment in our history that not [...]

A Self-Directed Independent Study Project with HHF By Nayun Hong, student of architecture at University of Notre Dame, September 8, 2020 Nayun in London during her study abroad. This summer, I had the opportunity to pursue a self-directed independent study project with Historic Hawai’i Foundation (HHF). I had just completed my junior year in architecture school at the University of Notre Dame, which was supposed to be a full year abroad in Rome, Italy, until I was unfortunately sent home due to the pandemic. Before this abrupt ending, my seven months next to the Colosseum was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience living in a city with so many layers of architectural and cultural history. I learned so much, both inside and outside the classroom, and was looking forward to applying all that I learned at a firm through a summer internship. Unfortunately, the state of our public health only worsened since my repatriation from Rome and many of the emails I sent to firms were ignored or received with apologetic responses. Although I struggled difficult to stay positive at times, I was determined to pursue some type of summer experience where I could enrich my knowledge in architecture or a field closely related to it. After a Google search of “historic preservation in Hawai’i”, I came across Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s website and, with very low expectations, sent an email to Andrea Nandoskar, the Education Program Manager. As an aspiring architect, I understand that there is so much more to architectural practice than design and construction. As a student of a classical and traditional architecture program, I understand the importance of preserving the character of places, and that is not possible without historic preservation. Although [...]

Prior to the shutdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Iolani Palace received a steady stream of admission income from the various tours it offered almost daily.  Its docent-led tours hosted 20 guests at a time; during the partial reopening, tours had up to 5 guests. Today, that income is no longer available and the Palace has accrued over $1,000,000 in losses since the state shutdown. Expenses have been cut; 19 hourly staff have been terminated; the minimal staff retained to manage and maintain the property are furloughed one day a week. In spite of these measures, the Palace incurs daily revenue losses estimated at $7,700 a day.  More than half of the expenses are to keep the Palace interior at a controlled temperature as well as to keep the property secure. Under these conditions, Paula Akana, who was appointed executive director of the Friends of Iolani Palace in May 2019, projects the next fiscal year to result in losses between $500,000-$700,000. After a long career as a newscaster, Akana is a familiar face who brings new perspectives on leadership and organizational change. By phone this week, Akana shared her areas of focus and other insights. A summary of the Palace's historical significance can be found on the Friends of Iolani Palace's website. Once she started meeting with state legislators to inquire about the possibility of state funding, she encountered a basic lack of awareness of the Palace as a state property and a perplexing apathy about its care.  A member of the Friends voiced her frustration, remarking, “The Palace is a property of the State, yet not funded by it!” Akana concedes that until now the Friends had made limited requests for government [...]