News

WWII Era Sites on the Marine Corps Base (2012)

Photos: Courtesy of Marine Corps Base Hawaii Article Written By: Kathryn Drury Wagner, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The Marine Corps base (MCB) Hawai‘i is home to several hundred historic properties, including three on the 2012 list. They include the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters buildings, built in 1940, and a Marine Air Group Headquarters Building, constructed in 1941. There is also World War II damage to some of the base’s taxiways: bomb craters and possible strafing marks that are apparent damage from the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. The two bomb craters are large, 7 to 11 feet in diameter, says MCB Hawai‘i’s June Cleghorn, senior cultural resources manager in the Environmental Compliance and Protection Department, while smaller pockmarks probably came from the bullets. The holes have been filled with concrete, but the outlines of their original shapes and locations are visible. What threatens them? Base Hawai‘i is expanding, welcoming up two squadrons of MV-22 Osprey aircraft and one Marine Light Attack Helicopter squadron, starting in 2012 and continuing into 2018. Along with the space needed for the aircraft, the base will also need to reconfigure for 2,128 more personnel and dependents. According to Cleghorn, demolition is planned for no more than six of the 11 total World-War-II-era BEQs and the MAG building. Resurfacing of the taxiways is also planned. What can be done? After a two-year review process involving more than 40 consulting parties, the BEQs and MAG building demolitions sound like a done deal.(Though it may not console World-War-II history buffs, the new barracks construction will feature LEED certification standards, including sustainable site development and water and energy efficiency.) The bomb and bullet marks on the ground may be saved. Cleghorn says the Corps recognizes their [...]

2017-04-21T01:01:42-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Oahu|Tags: , |

Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium (2005)

Opened in 1927, the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium was built to honor the men and women of Hawaii who served during the "Great War." Learn more about this historic place and the world-wide community supporting its restoration below. Historic Hawaii Foundation's Position HHF supports the stabilization, preservation and rehabilitation of the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium. HHF recommends that the immediate strengthening, repair and stabilization of the structure’s frame be completed per the plans that were halted in 2005, including the sea walls and deck. HHF recommends, in conjunction with resuming the work to stabilize the structure, that engineering, planning and permitting be undertaken for the re-design of the pool. HHF recommends that the City engage in dialogue with state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, business organizations and other stakeholders to craft a public-private partnership for the long-term rehabilitation, maintenance and operation of the facility. UPDATE: 2014 NATATORIUM NAMED A "NATIONAL TREASURE" BY NATIONAL TRUST At the National Trust for Historic Preservation, we work to preserve and protect landscapes, buildings, and neighborhoods that have played a meaningful role in our past. We want future generations to be able to experience and discover their own connections to these places as well. We have several programs focused entirely on identifying endangered historic places and taking action to save them. National Treasures. Irreplaceable historic places across the country -- from beloved local schoolhouses to well-known monuments -- illustrate the American story in all its richness. We are building a portfolio of endangered National Treasures, and raising needed funds, creating coalitions of advocates, and fighting in the courts to protect them. http://natatorium.org/natatorium-national-treasure/ http://www.savingplaces.org/what-are-national-treasures UPDATE: 2012 – DON’T GET US STARTED The Natatorium - managed by the City and County of [...]

2022-01-03T22:48:10-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Oahu|Tags: , |

Mapulehu Glass House (2006)

Photos: Courtesy of Arleone Dibben-Young Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? In 1930, when it was built, the Mapulehu Glass House on Moloka‘i was the largest glass conservatory in Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i Sugar Planters Association used the greenhouse to quarantine experimental strains of sugar cane until the mid-’70s. Since then, the property it sits on has been used as a heleconia and ginger farm and a Nene hatchery. It’s currently owned by Ka Hale Pomaika‘i, a substance-abuse recovery nonprofit. What threatens it? Competing claims have prevented a clear preservation plan for the 8.9-acre property, since human bones were uncovered by a former leaseholder. Ka Hale Pomaika‘i wants to fix up the property’s main residence to house recovering drug addicts, but they’re being blocked by Hawaiian activists such as Raymond Leimana Naki and Alapai Hanapi, who insist that the structures on the property—glass house included—must be razed for a bone repository. “We want the iwi (bones) laid to rest,” says Naki. “Mapulehu has a long history of our kupuna and our chiefs.” Even if the compromise burial plan Ka Hale Pomaika‘i is proposing is approved, the nonprofit has no plans to restore the glass house, as it’s not central to the primary mission of drug rehabilitation. What can be done? As the battle continues, the glass house deteriorates. Vandals have broken out many of the hand-poured glass panes, as have hale koa trees, which are growing up through the structure. Most seriously, the glass house’s foundation is weakening, due to the disintegration of the beach sand used in the foundation concrete. The previous owner, Arleone Dibben-Young of Nene o Moloka‘i, says she got a 1997 estimate of $90,000 to stabilize the foundation [...]

2017-04-21T01:01:46-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Molokai|Tags: , |

Kalaniana‘ole Hall (2007) SAVED

Photos: Courtesy of Richard A. Cooke III UPDATE: SAVED IN 2010 The Friends of Kalaniana‘ole Hall restored the building through grants, the work of volunteers, and Mason Architects. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2007 Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Kalaniana‘ole Hall stands empty these days, among the coconuts of the Kapua‘iwa royal grove in Kalama‘ula, but it was once one of Molokai’s most important community centers. Built in 1937 on Department of Hawaiian Homelands property, it was primarily a funeral hall, but it also served as a general gathering place, a movie theater and a place of refuge for the Hawaiian community. It was named after Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana‘ole, who was responsible for the creation of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in 1921, and the hall remains an important artifact from that era. “It’s probably the best example of the Hawaiian vernacular in plantation architecture of the 1920s and ’30s on Moloka‘i,” says Abbey Mayer, executive director of the Moloka‘i Enterprise Community. What threatens it? Today, the hall is in almost total disrepair. The building’s footings are sinking, making it sag unevenly. Holes in the roof let the rain in; pillars have dropped as much as a foot and a half from level. Mayer says termites have done so much damage to the wood that they can’t even tent-fumigate the building, for fear of collapse. What can be done? The Moloka‘i Enterprise Community took on the restoration of the hall in 2003, but the project has gone slowly—planning mostly, with no work being done on site. In October, though, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs approved a $500,000 grant for the hall, which Mayer says will jump start the restoration process, [...]

2016-11-17T11:48:20-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Molokai|Tags: , |

St. Sophia Church (2008) LOST

Photos: Courtesy of Richard Cooke, III UPDATE: LOST IN 2010 On February 10, 2010 the church mysteriously burned; demolition of the structure was planned for later that year. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2008 Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What was it? Pineapple may have disappeared from Moloka i as an industry, but the small Catholic church built in 1937 to serve the sakadas (Filipino plantation workers) still stands in Kaunakakai. Molokai planner Nancy McPherson says the church is an increasingly valuable artifact from Molokai's plantation era. A lot of significant buildings have been demolished by neglect, she says. St. Sophia is one of the last ones left. Interestingly, the church is named not after a Catholic saint, but after Sophia Cook, the wife of the Molokai Ranch manager. What threatened it? The congregation wants to replace the aging structure with a new one. Maria Sullivan, who is spearheading the fundraising efforts, says it s not meeting the needs of the 300 families who attend. It's termite ridden; it's too small; there are structural problems; people in wheelchairs can't access the building. It is a sad situation. Even the church's name will be lost in the replacement; the new church will be called the Blessed Damien Church, in anticipation of the canonization of Damien. At this point, the church has raised $1.3 million of the $3 million required for the project, and hopes to hold its first service in the new church on Christmas Eve, 2011. What could have been done? Historical preservation advocates such as Kiersten Faulkner, executive director of the Historic Hawaii Foundation, hope that there's still time to find a compromise. The congregation of immigrants worked and saved to build a fitting sanctuary, she points [...]

2016-11-17T11:48:28-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Molokai|Tags: , |

Hali‘imaile Stables (2009)

Photos: Courtesy of Matt Thayer Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The stables, which are located across from the Hāli‘imaile General Store restaurant, were built around 1920 as part of the old Hāli‘imaile plantation village. “The stables were built before my time,” says Eddie Ceballos, who worked as a field hand and service station attendant for Maui Pineapple Co., now Maui Land & Pineapple Co. (ML&P), for 50 years. “The stables were for the mules and horses, which were used to cultivate and plow between the pineapple lines, to keep the weeds down.” “When I was cognizant of them, it was just past the time when they had been used for the mules and horses,” says Mary “Maizie” Sanford, whose grandfather and father owned and operated Maui Pineapple Co. “I think they were just being used to store different kinds of machinery and vehicles. They’re very picturesque, with all those beautiful trees around them. It would be a shame to lose them.” What threatens it? In May 2008, ML&P submitted a building permit application to demolish the stables. When contacted for additional information regarding the demolition and any future plans for the site, ML&P declined to comment. What can be done? Because the demolition seems to have been kept fairly under wraps, no one is currently working on an alternative solution. However, Nancy McMahon, the deputy This past August the Air Force an-state historic preservation officer for the State Historic Preservation Division, would like to see that the stables remain standing. “I think adaptive reuse for vendors or houses, the chapel and flagpole, and crafts would be ideal,” says McMahon. But without a community alternative to demolition or the cooperation of [...]

2017-04-21T01:01:46-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Maui|Tags: , |

Pioneer Mill Smoke Stack (2005) SAVED

UPDATE: SAVED IN 2010 In 2008, Lahaina Restoration Foundation was granted a lease of the smokestack from Kā‘anapali Land Management. The restoration of the smokestack took four months and was completed in 2010. It included installation of carbon steel tension bands, a steel door, repair of exterior concrete, a waterproofing coat, and restoration of the 14-foot high carbon steel "crown" on top of the smokestack. The restoration was carried out by Oak Park Chimmney Co., from original drawings of the smokestack. This project was the recipient of a 2011 Preservation Honor Award. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2005 Article Written By: A. Kam Napier What is it? At one time, this 1928 reinforced concrete smoke stack was the tallest structure on Maui. The Pioneer Mill Sugar Co. operated from 1860 until 1999, leaving the smokestack as a last reminder of West Maui's vanished sugar era. What threatens it? Physically, the smoke stack is fairly solid, but needs some work to stabilize it. Of more pressing concern to the Lahaina Restoration Foundation is the question of ownership. Pioneer Mill belongs to Kaanapali Development Corp., the successor company to Amfac, which LRF says has considered tearing the smokestack down. What Can Be Done? We've asked Kaanapali Development if they would lease us the land around the stack and we'd fund the restoration," says LRF executive director Keoki Freeland, who was the last plantation manager at Pioneer Mill, leaving that job in 1995. "They have given a somewhat positive answer but no guarantee. That's where we sit." Freeland is confident his group can raise the estimated $288,000 needed to restore the smoke stack. Kaanapali Development's executive says "The smokestack is not under demolition permit we've applied for. Our first [...]

2018-04-30T12:05:44-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Maui|Tags: , |

Pu‘unēnē Congregational Church (2006)

Photos: Courtesy of Matt Thayer Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? As one of Maui’s first Japanese Christian churches, the Pu‘unene Congregational Church played an important part in the lives of many plantation workers who lived and worked near the Pu‘unene Sugar Mill. Built in 1910, the church has housed multiple congregations, including the United Church of Christ (1949 to 1968) and the Lanakila Church of Full Gospel of Jesus Christ (1972 to 1995). What threatens it? The church has been sitting vacant for more than a decade, and its owner, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co., is eyeing the site for a possible new ethanol plant. To its credit, the company has been doing its best to avoid tearing the church down. HC&S’s Derek Heafey says, “It’s such a beautiful church, and it would be a shame to demolish it; we’ve been trying to give it away for years.” What’s not to like about a free church? Turns out it’s a bit of a white elephant: Local moving companies were estimating the cost of moving the structure at $500,000 or more. What can be done? HC&S had gone as far as applying for a demolition permit when Big Island contractor Tom Quinlan stepped forward. An experienced historic preservation expert, Quinlan has volunteered to move the entire church, although he’s still looking for someone willing to accept a church on their property. “I’m hoping to get word out to find a place I could relocate it on Maui,” Quinlan says. Time is running out—Heafey says HC&S wants the church relocated by January 2007.

2016-11-17T11:45:41-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Maui|Tags: , |

Lahaina Historic District (2010)

Article Written By: Jenny Quill, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The first capital of the kingdom of Hawai‘i, Lahaina was also once a bustling whaling town and plantation settlement. To recognize and preserve its rich history, two sets of historic districts have been created in Lahaina: The Lahaina Historic District, which encompasses about 1,665 acres, was added to the National Park Service’s (NPS) National Historic Landmarks Program in December 1962. Maui County Historic District Boundaries 1 and 2 cover about 65 acres in Lahaina. “Historic District 1 was designated more for traditional historic sites such as the prison, the Masters’ Reading Room, some of the older churches, the Seaman’s Hospital,” says Ann Cua, the deputy director of the Maui County Planning Department. “Historic District 2 is where you have the commercial buildings on Front St.” What threatens it? The inclusion of the Lahaina Historic District on this list may come as a surprise to many, as it doesn’t appear to be crumbling to the ground. And, to be honest, it’s not; the danger here is far more insidious. “The threat is a long-term pattern of insensitive new construction and incompatible renovations to historic buildings,” says Kiersten Faulkner, executive director of the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation. “The National Park Service, which has oversight of National Historic Landmarks, has noted this pattern as starting to undermine the integrity of the district. It is not an issue of individual sites as much as it is a cumulative effect of countless individual decisions.” Indeed, a 2008 report by the National Parks Service listed the district as threatened, which NPS defines as “any landmarks that have suffered or are in eminent danger of a severe loss of integrity.” The report specifically [...]

2016-11-17T11:46:19-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Maui|Tags: , |

Ka‘a Ahupua‘a (2011)

“It is irreparable damage to such a beautiful place in return for very little for our community.” Robin Kaye Photos: Courtesy of Robin Kaye UPDATE: 2011 Public meetings were held on Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i to gather comments on a "programmatic" environmental impact statement on the Hawaii Inter-island Renewable Energy Program. A traditional cultural properties study of Ka‘a Ahupua‘a was completed in April of 2011 by Kepā and Onaona Maly for The Lāna‘i Culture & Heritage Center. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2011 Article Written By: Victoria Wiseman, HONOLULU Magazine What Is It? The Landscape of the 20,000-acre Ka’a Ahupua’a on the west side of Lāna‘i is unspoiled and mostly uncharted, with little known about the cultural importance of the area is undeniable: A limited 2011 survey identified 294 cultural features, such as ceremonial sites, petroglyphs, heiau and burial locations. The ahupua’a also serves an important community purpose, providing food to local subsistence hunters and fishers. What Threatens It? Historic preservation and the pursuit of alternative energy are both well-intentioned movements in society. However, not everyone agrees that both can happen in the Ka’ Ahupua’a. In 2008, landowner Castle & Cooke Resorts LLC was permitted to build a 170-turbine, 400-Megawatt wind farm in the ahupua’a. Community group Friends of Lāna‘i is against the project. “It is irreparable damage to such a beautiful place in return for very little for our community,” says Robin Kaye. The construction of the turbines, roads, and power facilities would significantly alter the landscape, and all of the power generated would go to Oahu. The only benefit to Lāna‘i would be a handful of permanent jobs, he says. In 2009, after public input, the Public Utilities Commission decided to reexamine the project [...]

2016-11-17T11:43:22-10:00March 3rd, 2014|Categories: MES Lanai|Tags: , |
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