Blog

ONHR Announces The Heritage (Tourism) Opportunities in Hawaiʻi (HŌʻIHI) Program to Enhance Visitor Education

Proposals are now being accepted for the HŌʻIHI grant program, a new funding opportunity for Native Hawaiian Organizations. See the press release below from the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations for details. Interested NHOs must submit their proposals on-line through Grants.gov no later than Monday, June 3, 2024. Copies of this solicitation and additional information are available on ONHR’s website at:  www.doi.gov/hawaiian. Interior Department’s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations Announces $1 Million in NATIVE Act Grants for Native Hawaiian Organizations 4/4/2024 — The Department of the Interior’s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations today announced $1 million in funding for Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs) through the Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi (HŌʻIHI) grant program. The funding is made possible by the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, which enables Indigenous communities to participate in national tourism goals and strategies. This is the third year that funding has been made available to NHOs through the HŌʻIHI grant program. "The Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi Program seeks to encourage a tourism model that accurately showcases Native Hawaiian culture and traditions while providing protection and awareness for Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources," said Joan Mooney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget. “These resources provide Indigenous communities with access to resources, technical assistance and grants to build sustainable recreational and cultural travel and tourism infrastructure and capacity, spur economic development and create good jobs.” The HŌʻIHI program establishes a more inclusive national travel and tourism strategy and provides opportunities to NHOs that have the potential to deliver significant benefits, including job creation, elevated living standards and expanded economic opportunities, to the Native Hawaiian Community. “We are seeking grant awardees for 2024 who exemplify Hawaiʻi’s overall movement [...]

2024-04-08T12:36:03-10:00April 8th, 2024|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |

Mauna Kea Traditional Cultural Property and District Approved for Hawai‘i Historic Register

By Kuʻupuamaeʻole Kiyuna, J.D., Legal Specialist/Kaliʻuokapaʻakai Collective Coordinator, Huliauapaʻa In November 2023, Mauna Kea was accepted for inclusion on the Hawaiʻi Register of Historic Places (HRHP) as a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) and district. On behalf of co-nominators KAHEA and Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, Huliauapaʻa researched, drafted, and presented the nomination to the Hawaiʻi Historic Places Review Board. The Board approved Mauna Kea’s listing as a TCP and District on the State register and also recommended the nomination move forward for consideration for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listing. TCPs are places associated with the cultural practices or beliefs of a living community that are both rooted in a community’s history and important in maintaining its continued cultural identity. TCP designation benefits state and county agencies because it provides more information at the forefront of regulatory compliance processes. For planning purposes, agencies won’t have to perform historic preservation eligibility and significance assessments at the state or federal levels because the property’s eligibility and significance have already been established through the TCP designation process. This benefit also extends to cultural impact assessments required under Hawaiʻi state law and environmental review because Mauna Kea’s cultural significance as a TCP is established. To be eligible for an HRHP or NRHP listing, a historic property must meet at least one criteria of significance. In the Mauna Kea nomination, Huliauapaʻa provided an in-depth analysis of how Mauna Kea exceeds all eligibility criteria (association with a historical event, a significant person, an example of notable architecture, or provides information important to understanding history and prehistory). Significance is inherent from the role Mauna Kea plays in Hawaiian cosmology and the community’s historically rooted beliefs, customs and practices; Mauna Kea’s association [...]

2024-06-17T10:48:49-10:00March 22nd, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Ten Properties Added to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places

The Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board added ten properties to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places in November 2023 and February 2024. Learn more about their history, characteristics and significance. Properties are eligible for inclusion in the register if they meet one or more criteria of historic significance: A) association with broad patterns or events; B) associations with historic individuals; C) architecture and design; or D) likely to yield important information. Halona Point/Bamboo Ridge Ojizo Stone Monument, O‘ahu The Ojizo (guardian) Monument stands at the Bamboo Ridge overlook at Halona Point (Koko Head). It is among the significant Honolulu stone monuments carved by sculptor and engraver Sentaro Otsubo, whose primary business was carving gravestones. This is the third Ojizo at this location; vandals destroyed the first two free standing statues placed there to protect fisherman who frequent this popular and challenging ulua fishing spot. The Monument, carved and installed in 1935, is made of lava rock and uses the engraved carving method in which inscriptions are incised and material removed leaving recesses that allow light and shadows to describe the bas relief and calligraphy. The Ojizo Monument is significant under Criterion C as an excellent example of twentieth century stone carving. It is also significant under Criterion A for its contribution to the theme of the creation of permanent stone monuments around southern O‘ahu to honor Issei and Nisei Japanese American ancestors. period. View the nomination. John J. Andrade, Sr. Property, Hawai‘i The John J. Andrade property is comprised of one and two-story buildings that have been renovated, expanded and altered over time prior to 1973. The complex consists of three sections: a long and rectangular two-story structure; a small, [...]

2024-03-25T15:55:52-10:00March 22nd, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|Tags: |

Skills Learned at Trades Training Workshop Benefit Restoration Work at Historic Pua Akala Cabin

By Alton Exzabe  After attending the two-day Trades Training Workshop, Maintenance & Repair of Historic Structures, at Kōke‘e Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, on Kaua‘i  in September 2023, I was fortunate to be a part of a team that conducted restoration work at the historic Pua Akala Cabin located at the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on Hawai‘i Island. The cabin is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Built in 1883, the cabin is constructed almost entirely of native Koa wood. As an Archaeologist for the USFWS, I had no prior experience performing this type of work but was able to employ the methods taught during the Workshop and work with colleagues to repair and reinstall several damaged windows from the cabin. The windows had been previously removed from the cabin, so we conducted the repair work at the Hakalau Forest NWR Station workshop. Tasks entailed cleaning and preparing the windows by removing deteriorated putty, light sanding, and the application of linseed oil. We removed broken glass panes and replaced them with new ones, installing glazing points and new glazing putty to secure the panes. Once the windows were assembled, we reinstalled them in the cabin. We also reglazed the two front porch windows without taking them off the cabin. Additional linseed oil was applied to parts of the exterior window frames to afford protection from the weather. The wide range of techniques I learned at the Workshop proved practical for these repairs and will come in handy for similar future efforts. Alton Exzabe, a Wai‘anae native, is Zone Archaeologist on the Cultural Resources Team, Hawai‘i and Pacific at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [...]

2024-03-01T12:59:22-10:00March 1st, 2024|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

The M. Yoshida Buildings, More than a Century of Commerce in Hale‘iwa

Submitted by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce’s Historic Preservation Committee; working to preserve and perpetuate the legacy of historic Hale‘iwa. Reprinted with permission. The North Shore Chamber of Commerce, as part of its mission of historic preservation of significant sites in Hale‘iwa, installed two bronze plaques commemorating the Yoshida buildings in October 2023. Similar to eighteen other plaques that can now be found throughout Hale‘iwa, the plaque language depicts the architectural and entrepreneurial his­tory of the buildings. The M. Yoshida Buildings, 1923-2024 Often described as buildings made of cubes of sugar stone, the Yoshida Buildings in Hale‘iwa were actually constructed with hand cut blocks of lava rock. The façade of each building was covered with plaster and paint while the exterior stone walls were left exposed. The unique “sugar cube” appearance of the buildings’ exterior has changed little since they were constructed by Nosaka Contractors for Matsuji and Hatsune Yoshida in 1923. Matsuji, a first-generation Issei, arrived in Hawai‘i from Niigata in 1902 and was believed to have worked for the Waialua Sugar Plantation. In 1910 he married Hatsune Takaki, also a first-generation Issei, who came to Hawai‘i from Kumamoto Japan in 1907. They raised three daughters, Ayako, Kikuyo and Sumie in their family residence behind the Yoshida Build­ings. By 1916 the Yoshidas were running a general store in a single-story wood frame building on the property. The twin buildings were completed several years later, proclaiming the M. Yoshida name. The Yoshida Store opened in the South Building with imported Japanese merchandise, groceries, and dry goods for sale. When Matsuji died in 1944, his wife Hatsune operated the store with the help of her two younger daughters. It was demanding work for [...]

2024-01-22T15:44:33-10:00January 17th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation Turns 50

In June 2024 Historic Hawai‘i Foundation will celebrate 50 years as an organization dedicated to preserving and encouraging the preservation of Hawai‘i’s historic places. In preparation for this milestone anniversary, we’ve been thinking about our own history and how the role of Historic Hawai‘i Foundation has either changed or been consistent over time. As we enter the organization’s 50th year, we’re thinking about why preservation matters and why Historic Hawai‘i Foundation matters. What has been the impact? What actions have been inspired and what places have been saved? What places have been lost and what have we learned along the way? What partnerships and collaborations have been forged? Fifty years is a good time for looking back, but also a good time for looking forward. We’re anticipating both as we prepare for next year and hope the HHF members will have much to reflect on as well. Watch for events and gatherings throughout the year as we come together to celebrate and set the foundation for another 50 years.  Historic Hawai‘i Foundation Logo Shares Mission of Saving Places Historic Hawai‘i Foundation has updated our logo in honor of our 50th Anniversary celebration this year! The wordmark is based on the existing logo, using a deep brown serif font that represents stability, elegance and heritage. The font was slightly modified to be a more contemporary version of the linotype-style used for the past 30 years. The continuity of the wordmark ties to the existing logo, creating consistency and expanding on current brand awareness. The wordmark can continue to stand alone, but the new brand also incorporates a logomark to accompany the wordmark. The circular logomark is divided into three segments: [...]

2024-01-11T10:01:50-10:00January 10th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

A Walking Tour of Waikīkī’s Gold Coast

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, [...]

2023-11-29T16:28:45-10:00November 29th, 2023|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Interpretive Display at Hangar 1 Shares Story of Naval Air Station Kāne‘ohe in WWII

Kāne‘ohe Landmark Shares History of World War II Battle and Aftermath By June Noelani Cleghorn, Senior Cultural Resources Manager, Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i On an early quiet Sunday morning on Windward O‘ahu, the Naval Air Station (NAS) Kāne‘ohe commander, Naval Commander (CDR) Harold Martin, was at his home overlooking Mōkapu peninsula’s north shore sipping coffee when his young son commented on the low flying airplanes with red circles on their sides coming towards the runway below their house. CDR Martin dropped his coffee cup and ran out to his car, not changing out of his pajamas, on this December 7, 1941 morning to head to his office while hearing the first bombs dropped by Japanese attack aircraft land on NAS Kāne‘ohe Hangar 1. Also targeted that day were the Navy’s PBY Catalina reconnaissance seaplanes on the tarmac adjacent to Hangar 1 and moored in Kāne‘ohe Bay. This attack at NAS Kāne‘ohe occurred only eight minutes before the bombs dropped at Pearl Harbor. In 1987, more than four decades later, Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) listed Hangar 1, its aircraft parking areas and taxiways, and five seaplane ramps in the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in recognition of its national significance as the Japanese target on December 7, 1941, that, combined with the Pearl Harbor attack, triggered the United States’ entry into World War II (WWII). MCBH has continued to use and reuse its NHL to support Marine Corps and Navy aviation assets ever since NAS Kāne‘ohe changed to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Kāne‘ohe in 1952 and then later in 1994 when Marine Corps assets in Hawai‘i were consolidated into the current base. In 2012, the first [...]

2023-11-30T09:51:00-10:00November 29th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Niuli‘i Hala Groves Restored with Help from HHF Preservation Grant

Hala is happy when birds can fly through. ~Emily Claspell, kumu ulana lauhala According to Aunty Emily Claspell, you know that hala is happy when birds can fly through its branches and leaves. Hala is a resilient plant that withstands drought, winds, fires and salt sprays. Each part of the tree has uses critical to the cultural heritage of the people in Hawai‘i: fruit and flowers to eat and to make lei, poles and branches for construction, leaves for weaving, medical use, erosion control, windbreak, as well as shade and shelter. The Kohala Center—an independent research, education, and ʻāina stewardship nonprofit for healthier ecosystems established in 2000—was gifted 48 acres of historically significant conservation and agricultural land on the North Kohala coast on Hawai‘i Island. Many practitioners agree that the variety and quality of Niuliʻi hala is the best in all of Hawai‘i. Niuliʻi  hala is the strongest and best, the salt air strengthens and thickens the lauhala. There are very special and rare hala on site that have not been seen in other areas. ~Uncle Maʻulili Dickson, crewmember on the Nā Kālai Wa‘a. The Kohala Center developed a plan to preserve and perpetuate Niuli‘i by restoring the overgrown and neglected hala groves. Through cultivating and nurturing hala, TKC was able to cultivate their knowledge and enlarge it with the support of cultural practitioners and community stewards. With funding support from the Freeman Foundation in cooperation with Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, TKC spent two years conducting an ecosystem health assessment with a team of lauhala practitioners and specialists in order to identity the best section of hala in which to focus preservation efforts and restoration planting activities and to target invasive plant species for [...]

2023-11-07T09:23:15-10:00November 6th, 2023|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Sixteen Properties Added to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places

The Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board added sixteen properties to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places in March, May and August 2023. Learn more about their history, characteristics and significance. Properties are eligible for inclusion in the register if they meet one or more criteria of historic significance: A) association with broad patterns or events; B) associations with historic individuals; C) architecture and design; or D) likely to yield important information. Allison-Kang Residence, O‘ahu   The wooden, two and a half story Allison-Kang residence is was constructed in 1929. Built by Charles Ingvorsen, the house has been in the Kang family since 1951. The house is tall, asymmetrical and shaped to fit a narrow lot. It references Colonial Revival style through its asymmetrical façade, steep, high-pitched, gabled roofs, double-hung windows, and a dormer. The house is significant under Criterion A as part of an early Honolulu subdivision historically known as Diamond Head Terrace; under Criterion B as the abode of significant members of the Honolulu community; under Criterion C, for its distinctive architecture as a well-designed residence of its period. View the nomination. Kazuo and Mary Yamane Residence, O‘ahu     The Kazuo and Mary Yamane residence is a two-story house originally constructed in 1911 for H. Stewart Johnson, the Honolulu city engineer at the time. After being purchased by Kazuo and Mary Yamane in 1958, it was heavily redesigned in 1960 by Honolulu architect Ernest Hara.  The house sits on a lava rock and post and pier foundation. The wall of the façade is of raked concrete, horizontal lap siding and vertical tongue and groove, while the rear and side walls are of clapboard. Such elements as the shoji, demado and rankan, the [...]

2023-11-06T17:53:39-10:00November 3rd, 2023|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|Tags: |
Go to Top