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Established in 1896, Palama Settlement is a non-profit, community-based social service agency serving the Kalihi and Pālama neighborhoods of O‘ahu. Founded by James and Ragna Rath, pioneers of social work in the Islands, the settlement was founded on the premise that social workers could better serve their constituents if they lived among them. Journalist Paula Rath describes the traumatic circumstances her grandparents faced when they first arrived from Massachusets with the mission of transforming Palama chapel into a settlement. "Pālama had been a quiet cluster of taro farms and cottages with vegetable gardens and little rice paddies until it experienced a sudden and radical change on Jan. 20, 1900. Five cases of bubonic plague had been reported in Chinatown, then a crowded, rat-infested business and residential area just east of Nu'uanu stream. The city tried to eradicate the disease by setting fire to the homes of plague victims. The fires got out of control, however, and burned down the entire, densely populated neighborhood. The Chinatown fire altered the urban landscape and left thousands of residents and their families homeless. The city answered the need for homes by placing people in hastily-built tenements across the stream — in Pālama. The landscape and lifestyles changed radically as people were crowded into a few ramshackle rooms. There was inadequate water and sewers, and no open space for children to play. In a report to the community, Grandfather wrote, "Pālama is sadly in need of cleaning. I have seen most of the cities of the United States, but I have seen nothing as bad as this anywhere." It was a neighborhood in need: in need of healthcare, nutritious food, affordable housing, recreation, English classes and jobs. Warren Nishimoto, director [...]

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation is pleased to recognize the thirteen kama‘āina companies, organizations and landmarks that have reached the 100-year mark in 2021. We applaud their lasting success and  contributions to the cultural heritage of the Hawaiian Islands over the past centennial. Ala Wai Canal, Honolulu, O‘ahu: The Ala Wai Canal is an human-made waterway in Honolulu which serves as the northern boundary of Waikīkī. Construction to drain the rice paddies and swamps in the area--a key step in the development of Waikīkī as Honolulu’s premier tourist area-- was completed during 1921-28. The Canal also serves as a primary drainage corridor for the rivers and streams that run through central and east Honolulu, and empty into the ocean at Ala Wai Boat Harbor. The Canal is listed on the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places. (Photo by Tor Johnson; courtesy Hawaii Tourism Authority)   Anahulu Stream Bridge, Hale‘iwa, O‘ahu: The Anahulu Stream Bridge, a reinforced concrete bridge designed by engineer Fred Ohrt and architect Guy Rothwell, was built in 1921 to carry Kamehameha Highway over Anahulu Stream, replacing an earlier wooden bridge on the site. It is the most widely photographed landmark in Hale‘iwa and serves as the gateway to the historic town. The bridge’s double rainbow arch is a rare remaining example of a once-common bridge type, one of only two of this style left in Hawai‘i.   Diamond Bakery Diamond Bakery, Honolulu, O‘ahu: What started off as a dream between friends has grown to become Diamond Bakery, a household name in Hawai‘i. The company was founded in 1921 by three Japanese immigrants, Hidegoro Murai, Kikutaro Hiruya and Natsu Muramoto, who all enjoyed baking and shared a vision to create the perfect Hawaiian-made cracker. [...]

The Mother Waldron Playground Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) is a historic preservation treatment document and long-term management tool for the historically significant playground. It is one of three CLRs required by the Rail Transit’s Historic Preservation Programmatic Agreement mandated by the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act. The report was prepared by HHF Planners for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) and Jacobs (formerly CH2M) in association with the Honolulu Rail Transit Project (HRTP). The Mother Waldron Playground CLR was recognized with a Preservation Programmatic Award as a successful documentation of the history and significance of the Mother Waldron Playground's designed landscape and as an excellent evaluation of the site's integrity, followed with long-term landscape treatment recommendations. The report establishes preservation goals for the playground's cultural landscape that can serve as the basis for making sound decisions about the management, preservation treatment, and use of the site following The Secretary of Interior’s Standards for The Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes (1996) and other relevant provisions. The report includes informative chapters on the historic context of the site and with the permission of HHF Planners we are delighted to share excerpts here. (Please note, the chapters are not published here in full; resource citation has been omitted.) Excerpts from Chapter 2.0 Site History from Mother Waldron Playground Cultural Landscape Report The physical history for this Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) is divided into three periods. These periods are defined based on changes that occurred within the Mother Waldron Playground CLR study area and its immediate surroundings, as well as larger historical trends and events that influenced the shape and form of the cultural landscape. The periods are broadly defined as [...]

The Hawai‘i Architectural Foundation (HAF) has recognized Kiersten Faulkner, executive director of Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, with the Paepae I Ka Pōhaku Award, in appreciation of her sustained efforts to raise community awareness of architectural design and the importance of the built environment over the past 15 years. The award, given only to non-architects, was presented to Kiersten by HAF President Chris Hong at the 47th Annual Preservation Honor Awards Virtual Ceremony on Friday, May 21, 2021.

Clifford Naeole. Photo by Ritz Carlton Kapalua. By Trisha Kehaulani Watson, J.D., Ph.D., owner of Honua Consulting, a consulting company and respected leader in environmental and cultural resource management in Hawai‘i. As the Hawaiian cultural advisor for The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Clifford Nae‘ole prides himself on being an educator to both the residents and visitors who come to the property. As a professional in the hospitality industry with 35 years of experience, he both enjoys and excels in his profession. Traditionally trained as a chanter and hula dancer, Clifford has used his background as a cultural practitioner to develop a robust and authentic cultural program that focuses on teaching guests the importance of respecting Hawai‘i as a place and Hawaiians as a people. Yet, unlike others in the hospitality industry, Nae‘ole also carries a notably heavy kuleana. For over twenty years, caring for the kūpuna of Honokahua has been his primary responsibility. Many may already be familiar with the history of the site: during the initial development of the hotel in the 1980s, over 1,000 iwi kūpuna (ancestral remains of Native Hawaiians) were encountered and exhumed. This led to extensive demonstrations and years of advocacy to both return the kūpuna to their resting place and to change existing preservation laws to prevent similar events from occurring again. Protectors of Honokahua Burial Preserve. Photo by Kapulani Landgraf. Nae‘ole, including community leaders like Dana Naone Hall, Isaac Hall, Kahu Charles Maxwell, Leslie Kulololi‘o, and many others, worked for years to have a burial preserve created that ensured the kūpuna of Honokahua could be returned to their resting place and be left in peace. As a result, the site today is protected through a conservation [...]

By Pat Griffin Historian, planner and preservationist, former Chair of the Kaua‘i Historic Preservation Review Commission, current member of the Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board and HHF Trustee Christine Faye is well-known as an expert in the history of West Kaua‘i. Her family ties to the area began 140 years ago when her great grandfather, Hans Peter Faye, immigrated there from Norway. In 1884 he founded H.P. Faye & Co. sugar plantation at Mānā. Descendants of his followed in his sugar industry footsteps until the closure of Gay & Robinson, Kaua‘i’s last working plantation, in 2009. Chris Faye and Mike Faye are seen here in front of the house that once belonged to their ancestor and founder of the Kekaha Sugar Co., Hans Peter Faye. Chris herself was involved at Gay & Robinson. She founded a visitor center there in 1999 and organized tours of the plantation’s cane fields and factory, utilizing guides who had themselves grown up on plantations. Through that intimate lens visitors could learn about both the business of the company and the life of the community: its homes, schools, clubhouses, medical facilities and everyday activities. Her work at G&R followed from the walking tour she had previously established for visitors at the Waimea Plantation Cottages and the Waimea Mill Camp, a living neighborhood adjacent to the cottages. But Chris’s dedication to the knowledge and preservation of the place she calls home is broad. Researchers of Kaua‘i history may have received assistance from Chris during her six years as curator of the Kaua‘i Museum. Her familiarity with the museum’s archives has led more than a few people to remark that Chris found important materials during a document search that they [...]