#HistoricHawaii

The Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board added eleven properties to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places in May 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. Bunny Y. B. and Lily M. Y. Wong Residence, O‘ahu Built in 1940, the Bunny Y. B. and Lily M. Y. Wong Residence is situated in a quiet residential neighborhood just above Kapi‘olani Park in Honolulu. The home is significant on the local level under Criterion C as a very good example of a modest vernacular pre-war residence designed in a modern style and well adapted to Hawai‘i’s climate. The single wall residence retains many distinctive architectural elements which were typical of its period, including its vertical, bleached redwood, 12” wide tongue and groove walls, canec ceilings, single panel doors with original glass knobs, sliding windows and doors with horizontal panes, scored concrete floors, and flowing L-shaped living-dining room. The relationship to the outside is exemplified by its use of sliding doors and windows, as well as corner windows and presence of a rear lanai which overlooks the backyard. View the nomination. Cloward Residence, O‘ahu The Cloward Residence, named for its longtime owners, is in the Diamond Head neighborhood of Honolulu. Dr. Ralph B. Cloward was the only neurosurgeon in Hawai‘i during World War II and was well-known for his work treating victims of brain injuries after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and nationally renowned for his spinal surgery innovations. [...]

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, [...]

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 [...]

The Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board added three properties to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places in November 2022. 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. Click on the links to access the Register nomination forms of each property. Wo Fat Chop Sui (Suey) House, O‘ahu Wo Fat as a corporate entity in its various permutations survived destruction in the Chinatown fires of 1886 and 1900, eventually moving to the corner of Hotel and Maunakea Streets in Honolulu’s Chinatown. The current iteration, the Wo Fat Chop Sui (Suey) House was built in 1937 by W.S. Ching and designed by Yuk Ton Char, a successful Chinese American architect practicing in Honolulu at the time. The property is significant under Criterion A in the areas of Ethnic/Heritage (Asian) and Commerce and under Criterion C in the area of Architecture. Stylistically, the building displays architectural motifs indicative of traditional Chinese architecture. Noteworthy elements include the curved green tile roof, decorative brackets, three-story pagoda, and distinctive signage with Hanzi script. The rare combination of architectural detailing draws inspiration from traditional Chinese motifs as well as the geometric forms associated with the Art Deco style. Part of a commercial block, Wo Fat Chop Sui was supported by Chinese and Japanese communities. The main floor housed a bar and specialty shop; the second floor was the main dining room while the Chinese pagoda on the third floor was reserved as the Dragon room for private parties. Though ownership [...]

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. [...]