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Stunning stained-glass windows bring new light to the First Chinese Church of Christ in Hawai‘i

Preservation Grant Supports Repairs at First Chinese Church of  Christ The church was founded in 1879 and granted a charter of incorporation by King David Kalākaua that same year. It was begun by immigrant Chinese Christians seeking to establish a church where services could be held in their native language and evangelize to the growing Chinese community. FCCC’s original sanctuary was located on Fort Street, between Beretania and Kukui Streets. As the Chinese community spread outside of Chinatown, members sought and found a new location for the growing congregation at 1054 South King Street on the old Grandville Hotel property across from McKinley High School.   The iconic sanctuary was designed by renowned Hawai‘i architect Hart Wood and constructed by contractor Teikichi Takahashi. The building was dedicated in 1929. The design blends elements of Hawaiian regional architecture, Christian elements and symbolic Chinese decorative motifs. A steep pitched tiled roof, heavy timber trusses, and interior walls of plaster over lava rock done in the Chinese method are other notable features. Wood designed two stained glass windows in the sanctuary: a three paneled rectangular window above the entry portal on the south makai wall and a grand circular rose window in the choir loft on the north mauka wall. A preservation grant from the Freeman Foundation, in cooperation with Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, supported the repair of the stained-glass windows as part of a larger master plan of historic preservation, renovation and repair of the entire church campus. The windows had issues of bowing, cracked stained glass, corrosion of metal frames and separation between the stained glass and supports. The grant enabled these problems to be addressed in a timely manner preventing major damage or irrevocable failure. "Challenges [...]

2022-12-12T10:31:52-10:00December 9th, 2022|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

Spotlight on Youth: HHF Intern Camille Dahmen

Meet HHF Intern Camille Dahmen!   Camille Dahmen graduated from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa with a B.A. in History and Political Science in May 2022. Camille began her internship with HHF in late June completing her HHF experience at the Preservation Honor Awards on October 20th. Her interests proved a natural fit for the world of preservation and her enthusiasm for Hawai‘i’s layered history was contagious! During her time with HHF, Camille helped at the Statues of O‘ahu Walking Tour in Waikīkī and the 2022 Preservation Honor Awards and participated in staff outings to view the historic Haleʻiwa’s interpretive signage project and tour the Liljestrand House in Tantalus, O‘ahu. (View photo gallery at bottom.) The interview below took place in October 2022.  An abridged version appears in the HHF November 2022 newsletter.   Historic Hawai‘i Foundation: Tell us a little about yourself- where are you from, what are your interests and hobbies? Camille Dahmen: I am from California and came to Hawai‘i to go to UH Mānoa. Originally, I came here to major in marine biology, but being immersed in the deep and profound history and culture here made me want to pursue my love and passion for history and political science. I have always been interested in history, playing sports like basketball and volleyball, reading and writing, trying new / fun food places, and going to the beach! HHF: You’ve been employed while interning. Tell us about where you work, what you do there and why it lights you up? Camille Dahmen: While interning at Historic Hawai‘i Foundation I have also been working as a docent at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum on Ford Island. The museum recently opened to [...]

2022-12-12T10:32:28-10:00December 9th, 2022|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|

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

The Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board added five properties to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places in August 2022 and an amended nomination for an existing property was approved. 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. Click on the links to access the Register nomination forms of each property. La Pietra Townhouse, O‘ahu (Multiple Property Nomination) The La Pietra Townhouse is a multiple property nomination. The townhouse was conceived in 1967 and built in 1971 by architect Louis Pursel and developer Bert Williams. The site was landscaped by San Francisco landscape architecture firm Eckbo, Dean, Austin and Williams. The site is comprised of 19 duplexes and 38 units. In March of 2022, ten units were added to the historic register and in August, another four units were added. The dwelling units are significant at the local level under criterion A for their associations with the development of townhouse complexes in Hawai‘i and for their associations with historic preservation in Hawai‘i.   The 4 units added to the historic register are: Condominium Unit 1: Al and Vivian Phillips Residence, O‘ahu Condominium Unit 22: James F. and Nancy Dunn Investment Property, O‘ahu Condominium Unit 9: Raymond and Grace Headrick Residence, Oahu Condominium Unit 25: Eugene and Diedra Lau Residence, O‘ahu (pictured at left) Dr.  Carl and Jean Mason Residence, O‘ahu Constructed in 1959, the Mason residence is significant on the local level under Criterion C, as a good example of a house built in Honolulu during the 1950s in a modern style. [...]

2022-12-02T13:02:14-10:00November 29th, 2022|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top|Tags: |

Local Icons Celebrate Significant Anniversaries

[fusion_slider margin_top="" margin_right="" margin_bottom="" margin_left="" alignment="center" slideshow_autoplay="" slideshow_smooth_height="" slideshow_speed="" hover_type="none" width="" height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id=""][fusion_slide type="image" image_id="29914" link="" lightbox="no" linktarget="_self"]https://historichawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/parker-ranch-2.jpg[/fusion_slide][fusion_slide type="image" image_id="29918" link="" lightbox="no" linktarget="_self"]https://historichawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/Parker_Ranch_12714415555.jpg[/fusion_slide][fusion_slide type="image" image_id="29915" link="" lightbox="no" linktarget="_self"]https://historichawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/R-2.jpg[/fusion_slide][fusion_slide type="image" image_id="29913" link="" lightbox="no" linktarget="_self"]https://historichawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/3530029326_ded9b9380b_o-700x440-1.jpg[/fusion_slide][fusion_slide type="image" image_id="29919" link="" lightbox="no" linktarget="_self"]https://historichawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/Horses_at_Puuopelu_.jpg[/fusion_slide][/fusion_slider] PARKER RANCH, HAWAI‘I ISLAND - CELEBRATING 175 YEARS Parker Ranch was established in 1847 by John Palmer Parker and is located in Waimea on Hawai‘i Island. The ranch covers approximately 130,000 acres making it one of the largest cattle ranches in the nation. The Parker family and more recently, Parker Ranch, Inc., proudly carry on the cattle ranching business and traditions such as rodeo competitions honoring the Paniolo heritage, helping form the roots of many communities throughout Waimea. A favorite location for many community activities, the Ranch hosts events sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouts, Paniolo Preservation Society, Rotary Club, and many more. The Ranch also is a proud sponsor for the Paniolo Hall of Fame which honors individuals for their contribution to the Paniolo heritage and for participating in the ranching industry. (Photo credits: Pukalani Stable: Blake Handley from Victoria, Canada, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons; Horses at Puuopelu at Parker Ranch By Parker Ranch - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76348917) Further Resources "Puuopelu and Mana Hale: Home of Modern Day Ali‘i" by Catherine Tarleton, Ke Ola, Hawai‘i Island, 2016, Mar-Apr. https://keolamagazine.com/home/puuopelu-and-mana-hale/  Paniolo Heritage To Be Preserved Through Donation of Pukalani Stables, Parker Ranch (January 8, 2022).     IRWIN BLOCK (NIPPU JIJI BUILDING)  - 125th ANNIVERSARY Irwin Block (Nippu Jiji Building) in Honolulu is a two-story Romanesque Revival commercial building and one of a number of blue-stone buildings erected in Honolulu during the 1890s. The [...]

2022-12-20T13:26:50-10:00November 29th, 2022|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Middle|Tags: |

Commemorating the Centennial of Wheeler Army Airfield

Wheeler Army Airfield Played a Significant Role in World War II Events Wheeler Army Airfield in central O’ahu was established in 1922 by a small detachment of men from Luke Field at Ford Island. This working party cleared the area of weeds, guava, and algaroba trees, built housing, and erected two canvas hangers in the flying field. The area was officially christened Wheeler Field on November 11, after the late commander of Luke Field, Major Sheldon H. Wheeler, who was killed when his plane crashed on Ford Island the previous year. In June 1923, oil storage tanks, a new flying field, shop hangers, and new airplane hangars were all constructed. ln 1930 the first permanent structures were erected. Due to Hawai‘i’s year-round climate, Wheeler Field was a popular area for aviation training. During the pre-World War II era, Wheeler Field witnessed multiple historic events. Several "firsts" in flight history occurred here. These included the 1927 first mainland-to-Hawai‘i nonstop flight; the 1928 trans-pacific flight from Australia to the United States; a 1927 nonstop flight from Oakland, California to Wheeler and in 1935, Amelia Earhart’s departure on the first solo flight between Hawaii and California, the first of several subsequent visits by the famed female pilot. Kingsford Smith, in his plane the Southern Cross, used the airfield on his historic flights across the Pacific. Amelia Earhart's airplane, the Vega, at Wheeler Field as she prepares for her Oahu to Oakland flight in January 1935 Photo courtesy of http://americahurrah.com Just years before United States involvement in World War II, Wheeler Field had transitioned into the primary base for Army Air Corps pursuit aircraft, the first generation of real fighter planes. This garrison of aircraft was tasked with patrolling [...]

2022-11-18T09:21:07-10:00November 4th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

Local Organizations and Businesses Celebrate 100 Years of Service

CADES SCHUTTE With a century of dedicated excellence, Cades Schutte has helped businesses and families find prosperity in Hawai‘i. Attorneys Arthur G. Smith and Urban E. Wild founded this firm in 1922 as Smith & Wild. From that beginning, the history of Cades Schutte can be traced through the milestones of Hawai‘i’s history. As the states largest full-service law firm, they have and continue to offer a wide range of corporate and personal legal services. Cades Schutte has continually strived to exceed the expectations of their clients and community with a mission to provide solutions that are unique, lasting, and substantial.   HAWAI‘I EDUCATION ASSOCIATION The Hawai‘i Education Association (HEA) celebrates 100 years of supporting educators across Hawai‘i. HEA was formed in 1921 to help educators in their fight for better pay and work conditions. HEA was the original advocacy organization representing the education community before the Territorial and State Legislatures. During the State Constitutional Convention of 1968, HEA was the first to testify in support of public collective bargaining. After the constitution was amended to allow public sector employees the right to organize, HEA played a major role in the establishment of three collective bargaining units for educators that endure to this day — Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA), and Hawaii Government Employee Association (HGEA) Unit 6. With the formation of the unions, HEA’s focus shifted to promoting teacher excellence and professional development. In 1994, HEA acquired 501(c)(3) nonprofit status to continue support for local educators. A hundred years later, HEA is a champion for the teaching profession and supports the professional excellence of educators at all schools and grade levels statewide. What remains unchanged over the past [...]

2022-11-18T09:21:38-10:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: |

Historic Pu‘unēnē School on Maui Commemorates its 100th Year

  The Puʻunēnē School is a historic school building in the community of Puʻunēnē in the central part of Maui, Hawaii near Kahului.  Puʻu nēnē means “nēnē goose hill” in Hawaiian.  Puʻunēne's primary industry was growing, harvesting and processing sugarcane for over a century. Puʻunēnē School was built in 1922 by the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company (a division of Alexander & Baldwin). The school was constructed on 10 acres of land donated by the company in 1913. Upon completion, it replaced an earlier four-room school on the site that was built to hold 350 students. In 1937 to 1940, Puʻunēnē School science teacher Soichi Sakamoto's began training boys in a Three-Year Swim Club to compete for the 1940 Summer Olympics originally scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan but cancelled due to World War II.  "Sakamoto’s swimmers would win medals in later Olympics, fulfilling his dream of creating world-class athletes and continuing Hawai‘i’s tradition of cultivating great swimmers like Duke Kahanamoku." (See Further Resources below.) Puʻunēnē School is significant as a surviving architectural example of a school from the early twentieth century on Maui and for its role in the history of education on Maui. The Classical Revival 1922 two-story concrete building became Maui’s largest elementary school with about 1000 students in grades one through eight from nearby communities. In the 1950s the area went into decline as many families moved to Kahului. In the 1950s and 1960s the building was used for special education classes. In 1979 it became an administrative annex for the Department of Education. Puʻunēnē School was added to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places in August 2000. The 1o0th anniversary of  Pu‘unēnē School in Maui was commemorated at the 2022 [...]

2022-11-18T09:22:11-10:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: |

Celebrating 100 years of Service at Wai‘oli Tea Room

Opened in 1922, the Wai‘oli Tea Room was conceived as a vocational training facility for the orphans housed at the Salvation Army Girls Home that was also located on the Manoa Campus.  At its peak, hundreds of guests from around the world enjoyed breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea which were served daily. The young women from the Girls Home staffed and operated the restaurant and were provided the opportunity to learn skills such as cooking, cleaning, food service, and hospitality. At the time, this was considered a valuable head start into the work world and self-reliance after they had aged out of the program. Many of the young woman who grew up at the orphanage and spent their time at Wai‘oli found that it had made a significant impact in their lives and helped pave the way for viable employment in the Hawaiian Islands. The Tea Room operated with this mission until the early 1970’s when the orphanage closed as the state developed foster care programs that are in place today. For the next 40 years, the building had many operators but never recaptured the sense of purpose that was its foundation for the first 50 years. Today in Hawaii, the Salvation Army does not serve orphan children, but rather is one of the largest providers of treatment for individuals suffering with substance abuse disorders. Renamed the Wai‘oli Kitchen & Bake Shop, new owners Ross and Stefanie Anderson have revitalized this historic treasure and restored Wai‘oli's mission to help transform lives by providing vocational training, life skills and hope to individuals in recovery. We consider ourselves the next ones to run with the baton that is Wai‘oli...and  we want to definitely honor the host culture [...]

2022-11-18T09:22:38-10:00October 13th, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: |

Hilo’s Pacific Building Turns 100

The Pacific Building located in downtown Hilo is a prominent two-story concrete reinforced structure which carries a physical historic presence and landscape within the core of downtown Hilo and was built during the territory of Hawai‘i. It is the home of Bears Coffee, one of the first businesses that developed the concept of a sidewalk cafe in downtown Hilo. The main building was built in 1922. Lyman Museum’s records call this the Pacific Hotel with a hotel on the second floor and commercial businesses on the first floor. In 1924 the Hilo Library was a tenant on the first floor and in 1929 a bakery moved in at the corner of Keawe Street. An outdoor oven or smokestack stands in the back could have belonged to the bakery. The Pacific Hotel was still in business in 1942 and served as a gathering place for people travelling on the railroad tracks from Hāmākua and Kona, allowing them overnight eating and resting place, and a library for entertainment, and access to other businesses on the first floor. The commercial property has upkept its image as a community gathering place. In order to be profitable for owner, tenants and the islanders/tourists have tried to have diverse businesses as tenants - to be a place to shop, eat, sit and meet. Keawe Street is covered with a canopy so shopkeepers put tables and chairs outside, provide free internet and allow people an open-air dining experience. While customers are eating or doing work, some with their pets alongside, others are playing a music and singing, and making new acquaintances. The general feeling is uplifting and community centered. The 100th anniversary of the Pacific Building in Hilo will be commemorated at [...]

2022-11-18T09:23:13-10:00October 13th, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: |

Bank of Hawai‘i Commemorates 125 years of Community Banking

May, 1910: New head office completed in new location of Makai-Diamond Head corner of Fort and Merchant Streets. Photo: Hawai‘i State Archives HPP-7-7-004-00001.   In 1893, Charles Montague Cooke (1849–1909) with his brother-in-law Joseph Ballard Atherton and business partner Peter Cushman Jones founded Bank of Hawai’i.  In 1897, it was chartered in the Republic of Hawaii by Interior Minister James A. King and opened its main branch located at the corner of Fort and Merchant streets. A decade after its founding, in 1903, the bank opened its first branch in Kauai. In 1922, the bank acquired First Bank of Hilo, which had four branches. Charles Dexter Lufkin organized First National Bank of Wailuku in 1901. Five years later, he had organized Lahaina National Bank. Then he organized the First National Bank of Paia in 1913. Lastly, in 1917, First National Bank of Paia merged with Lahaina National Bank and First National Bank of Wailuku to form Bank of Maui. In 1930, Bank of Hawai‘i  amalgamated Bank of Maui. From the beginning, Bank of Hawai‘i’s mission has been to provide banking services to the community. The bank’s growth depended on the growth of that community, which was directly related to the growth of Hawai‘i’s pineapple industry. During the first years of the 20th century, at roughly the same time the territory's political leaders first pushed for statehood, advances in the efficiency of canning methods fueled the expansion of pineapple production. Sugar production increased as well, providing the seeds for Bank of Hawai‘i’s continued growth—waves of new immigrants and new businesses, both attracted by the flourishing pineapple and sugar industries. The growth in population greatly increased Bank of Hawai‘i’s potential customer base, which enabled it [...]

2022-11-18T09:23:57-10:00October 12th, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: |
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