MostEndangered2012

Photos: Courtesy of Rae Huo; Hawaiian Collection, Hamilton Library at UH Manoa UPDATE: 2015 Article Written By: Katrina Valcourt, HONOLULU Magazine Not much has happened with this site, though owner Jeremy Henderson says they’ve done some minor cleanup to improve the view, secured the buildings for safety reasons and gotten the station onto both state and national historic registers (Marconi Nomination). “We’d still like to preserve the historic buildings,” Henderson says. “Next, we’re planning a market feasibility study” to determine the options for adaptive reuse. Listed as Endangered in 2012 Article Written By: Kathryn Drury Wagner, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? On an oceanfront parcel of land in Kahuku, tucked between Turtle Bay’s golf course and shrimp farms, the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Station gives us a rare glimpse into telecommunications history. The station’s name refers to Guglielmo Marconi, who invited and commercialized a way to transmit Morse signals wirelessly across great distances. Hawai’i was at the forefront in the use of this technology, and when the Kahuku station was built in 1914, it was the largest wireless telegraph station in the world in terms of capacity and power. By 1916, there was regular telegraphic communications between Hawai’i and Japan, a distance of 4,200 miles. The property was purchased by Marconi Point LLC in 2005, says owner Jeremy Henderson. It’s one of only two remaining telegraph stations in Hawai’i (the Koko Head station’s hotel building became Lunalilo’s Home in 1928), and one of only a handful in the country. Receiving stations in Marshall, Calif., and Belmar, N.J., also remain standing. What threatens it? Telegraph declined after Hawai’i was linked to the Mainland by undersea telephone cable in 1957 and, today, the buildings at Marconi station sit vacant and in disrepair. Until Henderson can come up with the right [...]

Article Written By: Kathryn Drury Wagner, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The five-story Varsity Building was designed by local firm Wimberly and Cook in 1963 to house the First National Bank. It's one of a posse of circular buildings that went up around Oahu in the 1950s and 60s, including the Waikiki Circle Hotel and Waipahu's branch of American Security Bank. Curved buildings are examples of the mid-century Modernism movement, which showcased bold experimentation in shapes and materials, such as concrete, which had not been widely used previously. What threatens it? For the past four years, Kamehameha Schools has been collecting pieces of property in the Mo'ili'ili area, forming a contiguous area slated for redevelopment. The assemblage is complete, says Paul Quintiliani, director of Kamehameha Schools' commercial real estate division. “We have begun to shift our focus towards what makes the most sense.” The overall goal, he says, is to “enhance this part of urban Honolulu by creating a heart for the community that simultaneously improves the gateway into UH Manoa.” He says this will include greater pedestrian connectivity, public spaces, and new dining and entertainment options. KS is still in the planning phases; some of the possible permutations include the varsity building, some do not. What can be done? If you're a fan of Modernism, speak up, as community input will be important. Quintiliani says that architectural historians have been consulted to better understand the context of the Varsity Building, and that KS “does not approach redevelopment with the view that demolition is the approach of first choice.”

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 [...]