<p>The establishment of the foundation enabled the&nbsp;state to apply for and&nbsp;receive federal grants straight from the National Endowment for the Arts. The very first member and chairperson was Pundy Yokouchi. At first it was put in the office of the governor and was actually located in the Princess Victoria Kamamalu Building&nbsp;in Honolulu. They even originally had a grant program that enabled millions of funds so that the arts program could grow and cultural programs could thrive statewide.<br></p><p>In 1967 the first the program in the nation that established Art in public places was created by legislature, and it was within the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Then the foundation alongside the state department of education made the Artists in the schools program and that let students that were in kindergarten - 12th grade to not only see professional artists work but work with them, in 1970. In 1980 the state legislature got rid of the History and Humanities area of the foundation but then another was created because it to take over some of the old state humanities agency tasks and duties. </p><p>

In 1883 the Folks art program was started from a grant and it helped to promote the more traditional folk arts that were all throughout Hawai'i. After that other program began to fall in place year after year by the legislation because they felt it all was necessary in order for this foundation to be whole. That is when&nbsp;in the fall of 2002 they opened the museum that is on the second floor of the building, and it has art from a collection titled the public places collection, and&nbsp;has three galleries from that alone. &nbsp;</p><p><sub></sub></p>

A look from the outside of the facility with its colorful lights.

Artwork that is in the museum located within the building.

More information about the Foundation and the museum that is within! 

More Info

The Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts was created in 1965 by the Hawai'i State Legislature to promote, preserve, and importantly encourage the arts and culture. To this end it offers classes, and cultural backgrounds, as well as hosting a museum with so much history and information to offer on the people of Hawai'i. 

Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

This walking tour starts at Hawaii's leading art museum and winds its way west to the downtown area with stops at historical and cultural landmarks along the way. We will add more entries to the tour shortly.

Downtown Honolulu Walking Tour 

<div>The prevailing narrative attached to Hawaiian history involves its transition from local monarchies to becoming part of the United States, alongside an increased Asian presence (notably Japan) as part of its plantation culture. However, there was a time when Russian influence proved significant, and McKinley High School possesses a history tied to that era.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>McKinley High School, founded as Fort Street English Day School in 1865, serves as Hawaii's oldest high school, though it has moved several times.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Fort Street speaks to the fort built by Russian traders who arrived in 1816. While they were seeking opportunities to engage in fur trading, they soon recognized that Hawaii offered enormous opportunity to profit from its fruit, vegetables, meat, and other natural resources.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>When Hawaii leader Kamehameha the Great discovered the Russians were using the land he provided to them for a fort, instead of a supply house as had been planned, the King ordered to have them removed. However, negotiations took place (honest or otherwise) leading to the Russians staying and, eventually, erected four forts on Kauai (the remains of the one located in Waimea remains visible today).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The history of the fort involves many nations, from Russian and Europe to the United States. By 1850, hundreds of whaling vessels and ships trading in the California gold rush crowded the harbor. As a result, the kingdom deemed the fort unnecessary and, in 1857, ordered its demolition. In 1865 the English day school opened its doors in what was formerly the Fort Street Church. By 1881, Hawaii funded the construction of a permanent Fort Street, the state's first paved road.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In 1895, the original Fort Street English Day School was split into Kaiulani Elementary School and Honolulu High School, with the latter located in Princess Ruth's Palace on Emma Street until 1908 upon the completion of the present Linekona School on Victoria Street. At the time of the dedication of the new building, the school's name changed to McKinley to honor the president who had annexed Hawaii as a United States territory.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>During the 1920s and 1930s, the school enjoyed recognition by many as the state's leading public school. The growth and success of the school led to another move (King Street, 1923), and expansion. Numerous buildings were constructed on the campus as the school simultaneously functioned as an academic institution and a community center, notably the Marion McCarrell Scott Auditorium (built in May 1928), which was the largest theater in Hawaii when made with a capacity of 1,114.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>More than half the high school students in Hawaii attend McKinley during the interwar period. Its student body resembled the racial diversity found on the island; Among its 1929 student body of 2,339, 43% were Japanese, 20% were Chinese, 11% Hawaiian, 10% haole (white) and 4% Portuguese.&nbsp;</div>

McKinley High School was built in 1923, but in many ways, this school dates back to 1865 with the establishment of an English Day School. That school was located in what was once a fortified Russian-controlled portion of the island marked by what is now Fort Street. After a few moves, the school was also renamed in 1907 for William McKinley, the twenty-fifth President of the United States who made the controversial decision to annex Hawaii and make it an American territory in spite of opposition by the Queen and native Hawaiians. During the 1920s and 1930s, half of all secondary school students in Hawaii attended McKinley High School. 

McKinley High School (Formal Name: President William McKinley High School)

<div>Thomas Square derives its name from British Rear-Admiral Richard Thomas who arrived to restore Hawaiian sovereignty and subsequently reverse the actions of British Lord George Paulet who had seized Hawaii (without authorization) for Britain five months earlier. The ceremony took place on the grounds now named for Admiral Thomas. There, Hawaiian King Kamehameha III proclaimed, "Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono," which roughly translates to "The life of the land is preserved in righteousness," which now serves as the Hawaii state motto.</div><div><br></div><div>During the early 1840s, the Hawaiian Kingdom sought international recognition of its independence. He sent diplomats to Britain, Russia, France, and the United States, which appeared to be successful in removing those nations' desire to gain control over the islands, be it politically, economically or militarily (something they had all indicated a willingness to do at some point).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In the early 1840s, the British consul got word of harassment towards British subjects living in Hawaii. In response, Admiral Thomas sent Lord George Paulet, captain of the frigate <i>Carysfort </i>to sail to Hawaii and investigate the situation and meet with King Kamehameha III. When Paulet arrived, Kamehameha III was located on a different island than Oahu, where Paulet landed. A series of communications frustrated Paulet, who demanded to meet with Kamehameha III, but the delays pushed Paulet to choose the more drastic option of taking control of the island in the name of Great Britain. On February 10, 1843, to avoid bloodshed, Kamehameha III agreed to Paulet's demands and decided to relinquish the Islands to Paulet. However, Paulet's actions contradicted British policy,&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Queen Victoria ordered Rear-Admiral Richard Thomas, commander-in-chief of the British Pacific Squadron, to set sail for Hawaii in the summer of 1843 and rectify the unapproved conquest carried out by Paulet -- known now as The Paulet Affair. Thomas arrived in Honolulu on July 26 on his flagship <i>HMS Dublin </i>and immediately became Local Representative of the British Commission (he out-ranked Paulet).&nbsp; Five days later, on July 31, Thomas restored Kamehameha III as leader of Hawaii and thus returned the island's sovereign status; the British Flag was taken down and replaced with the Hawaiian flag.</div><div><br></div><div>In a speech delivered at Kawaiahao Church, Kamehameha III declared, "Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono," which means "The life of the land is preserved in righteousness," which now serves as the state motto. Kamehameha III later named the place where the ceremony was held in Downtown Honolulu "Thomas Square" in Admiral Thomas's honor and dedicated it as a public park.<br></div>

Thomas Square was officially established in 1850 and is named in honor of British Admiral Richard Darton Thomas. In 1843, Queen Victoria sent Thomas to the island to restore Hawaiian sovereignty. Thomas landed in July 1843 and ended the unauthorized British takeover that had occurred five months earlier by Captain Lord George Paulet. The attempt to occupy and control Hawaii in 1843 is known as The Paulet Affair and serves as context for other attempts to control the island chain in the 19th century. The ceremony to restore King Kamehameha III to power took place at the park. The current state motto is "the life of the land is preserved in righteousness," a phrase that was first used by the restored King of Hawaii at this ceremony. The park features a bronze sculpture of "Kamehameha III" next to the Hawaiian flag and is administered by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Thomas Square

<p>Anne Rice Cooke was born into a
prominent missionary family on O‘ahu in 1853. Growing up in a home that
appreciated the arts, she went on to marry Charles Montague Cooke, also of a
prominent missionary family, and the two settled in Honolulu. In 1882, they
built a home on Beretania Street, on the site that would become home to the
museum. As Charles Cooke prospered, he and his wife began to assemble an art
collection, starting with “parlor pieces” from the shop of furniture maker Yeun
Kwock Fong Inn who had ceramics and textile pieces sent from his brother in
China. Fong Inn eventually became one of Honolulu’s leading art importers.</p>

<p>When the Cookes’ art collection
outgrew their home, Anna Rice Cooke decided to create Hawai‘i’s first visual
arts museum, which would reflect the islands’ multicultural make-up, for the
children of Hawai‘i. In 1920, she and her daughter Alice (Mrs. Phillip
Spalding), her daughter-in-law Dagmar (Mrs. Richard Cooke), and Mrs. Isaac Cox,
an art and drama teacher, began to catalogue and research the collection as a
first step. With little formal training, these women obtained a charter for the
museum from the Territory of Hawai‘i in 1922. The Cookes donated their
Beretania Street land for the museum, along with an endowment of $25,000, and
the family home was torn down to make way for the new institution. They hired
New York architect Bertram Goodhue to design the plans. Goodhue died before the
project was completed, and his colleague Hardie Phillip finished the job. Over
the years, the museum's revival mission style has been imitated in many
buildings throughout the state. </p>

<p>Since it opened, the museum has grown
steadily, both in acquisitions and in stature, to become one of the finest
museums in the United States. Additions to the original building include a
library (1956), an education wing (1960), a gift shop (1965), a cafe (1969), a
contemporary gallery, administrative offices and 280-seat theater (1977), and
an art center for studio classes and expanded educational programming (1989).</p>

<p>From Anna Rice Cooke’s vision has
grown one of the most beautiful and extraordinary museums in the world with
state-of-the-art facilities for displaying its internationally renowned art
collection. It is the state’s leading arts institution and the city’s center
for visual and performing arts. The Academy’s mission continues to reflect Mrs.
Cooke’s vision by being dedicated to the collection, preservation,
interpretation, and teaching of the visual arts, and the presentation of
exhibitions, performing arts, and public programs specifically relevant to
Hawai‘i’s ethnically diverse community.</p>

<p>The Honolulu Museum of Art School,
opened in 1990 in the historic Linekona building, and is the hub of the
Honolulu Museum of Art's arts education programming. Education was the driving
force behind the founding of the museum, and the museum has offered classes and
tours since it opened in 1927.&nbsp;Today, the Art School reaches approximately
60,000 children and adults each year through studio art classes, workshops with
visiting artists, school programs, outreach programs, and exhibitions.</p>The museum’s mission is to bring together great art and people to create a more harmonious, adaptable, and enjoyable society in Hawai’i. Their values include finding inspiration from great art, responding to new art, committed to be accessible to all, responsible stewards of our institution, value creativity and respect innovation and doing all of this with aloha.<br><br>For admission information please visit the link below titled "Honolulu Museum of Art admissions information."

Founded by Anne Rice Cooke in 1927, the Honolulu Museum of Art, formerly Honolulu Academy of Arts, is Hawai‘i’s largest private presenter of visual arts programs, with an internationally recognized collection of more than 50,000 works spanning 5,000 years with significant holdings in Asian art, American and European painting and decorative arts, 19th- and 20th-century art, an extensive collection of works on paper, Asian textiles, and traditional works from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. In addition, film and concert programs, lectures, art classes and workshops make the museum the city’s cultural hub. It also has one of the largest single collections of Asian and Pan-Pacific art in the United States.

Honolulu Museum of Art

<div>The early death in 1937 of Mabel Leilani Smyth, a nurse who served as Superintendent of the Public Nursing Service for eight years, inspired Hawaiians to commemorate her accomplishments. Completed in 1943, the Mabel Smyth Memorial Building is the result of that movement. As well, the building stands as an excellent example of the work of prominent Hawaiian architect, C.W. Dickey.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>A plan emerged after Mabel Smyth's death to construct a medical center that would serve as a medical headquarters and meeting facility for medical administrators, doctors, nurses, and researchers (including a library). Queen's Hospital provided a modest plot of land and lauded local architect C.W. Dickey, who had designed the hospital's Harkness Nurse's residence built in 1932, was hired to design the building which opened in 1943.&nbsp;<br><br><b><i>Mabel Smyth</i></b><br></div><div><br></div><div>Mabel Leilani Smyth (1892-1936) pioneered the development (and organization) of public-health nursing during the early twentieth century. The lives of her parents serve as a bridge to the diverse history of the island as her parents consisted of a half-Hawaiian mother and an Irish-English Captain. Her sister Eva was born visually impaired which provided Mabel with early experience as a&nbsp; caregiver. The death of Mabel's father in 1907 resulted in her family's move to Honolulu where she took a greater interest in nursing.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Mabel was counseled by Dr. Albert S. Baker, who was also her church pastor in Kona. He introduced her to James and Ragna Rath, who operated the health care facilities at Palama Settlement in Kalihi. By 1918, after Mabel had finished her formal education and traveled to complete her&nbsp;nursing assignments, she was appointed as the first head nurse at Palama Settlement. She remained there until 1927 (minus one year to finish her graduate work) when she took the position as the first director of Public Health Nursing for the Hawaii Territorial Board of Health; the Department of Public Health Nursing later oversaw the Palama Settlement, too.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Mabel also maintained partnerships and memberships with the American Red Cross, Hawaiian Civic Club, Territorial Nurses Association (as a trustee), City and County of Honolulu Nurses Association (president), and the Bureau of Maternity and Infancy (director). Mabel received praise, as well, for organizing Hawaii's first well-baby clinic and raising midwifery standards. And she did it all before she turned forty-three because sadly she died at the age of forty-two due to complications from an operation.&nbsp;<br><br><b><i>C.W. Dickey</i></b><br></div><div><br></div><div>C.W. Dickey, a celebrated local architect, created what became known as the "Hawaiian style" of architecture noted for a double-pitched hip roof with overhanging eaves. (The roof design garnered the nickname, "The Dickey Roof.")&nbsp; Dickey built numerous buildings in Hawaii during the 1920s and '30s, and many of the accomplished Hawaiian architects that worked from the 1920s through the 1950s worked for Dickey at some point in their career.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>For more on Dickey, see the Clio entry on his work (and his house):&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=74577" title="Link: https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=74577">https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=74577</a></div>

Mabel Smyth died at an early age (42), but her accomplishments as a nurse and her service to the field of Public Heath live on through the dedication of this building to her memory upon its completion during World War II. When Smyth died in 1937, a local effort to commemorate her life resulted in the dedication of this public health building in her honor. C.W. Dickey, a highly acclaimed Hawaiian architect, designed the building.

Mabel Smyth Memorial Building

<div>A wealthy American merchant, trader, and sea captain named John Dominis made numerous voyages across the Pacific, finally settling down in Hawaii in 1837 with his wife, Mar, and son, John. The Kingdom of Hawaii awarded Dominis a plot of land (as part of a lawsuit with the British Consulate, Richard Charlton, where he built the home now known as Washington Place. However, Dominis set sail for China in 1846 to obtain furniture for the home, but his ship was lost at sea.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Mary, his widow, rented rooms in the home to help support herself and her son. One of the first boarders was the American Commission to the islands, Anthony Ten Eyck, who subsequently established the American Legation in the home. With the approval of King Kamehameha III, Eyck renamed the house "Washington Place" on February 22, 1848.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, as a child, John Owen Dominis had attended a day school next door to the Royal School attended by native Hawaiian nobles, with whom John managed to befriend,&nbsp; forging relationships that lasted a lifetime. Indeed, by 1856 he worked for a Hawaiian Prince and in 1862 married Lydia Kamakaeha, the eventual Queen of Hawaii -- Hawaii's last monarch. John's inclusion within the Royal family afforded him vast opportunities to serve in high positions within the government and military and provided him with bountiful prestige.&nbsp;Moreover, along with Christianity, plantation economics, and host of cultural influences, the marriage served as another sign of the meaningful influence of Americans in Hawaii.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>John and Lydia lived in Washington Place, notably after Mary Dominis&nbsp;died in 1889. The couple lived in the house when Lydia became the last sovereign of the Kamehameha dynasty, which had ruled a unified Hawaiian kingdom since 1810. John died one year later, but Lydia (whose name changed to Queen Liliuokalani) remained in Washington Place.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>When the Queen took the throne in 1891, much of the monarchy had been stripped of its power by a new constitution in 1898, influenced greatly by the U.S. When Queen Liliuokalani attempted to restore power to Hawaii, a U.S. military-backed coup ousted her in 1893, resulting in the formation of the Hawaii Republic in 1894 and eventual U.S. annexation in 1898. From 1919 to 1959, Washington Place served as the executive mansion for the territorial governors and, after Hawaii became a state in 1959, functioned as the governor's mansion until 2002.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In the end, the Queen lived with her husband at Washington Place, was arrested there in 1893, found herself confined in the home for several months after her conviction at a military tribunal, and then lived there after her release until she died --&nbsp; at the home -- in 1917.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In many respects, Washington Place also stands as a monument to decades of American expansionism and the concept of Manifest Destiny; Americans first explored lands west of the Appalachians, then to the Oregon and California, and then onto places such as Hawaii, the Philippines, China, and Japan. It is somewhat noteworthy that Washington Place enjoys a name honoring the man who helped bring American independence while also serving as the house where Americans helped bring an end to&nbsp;Hawaiian sovereignty, taking over both the islands and the home. (It should also be mentioned that the complex history involving the U.S. and Hawaii is not simply argued, and further reading is recommended.)&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>In the end, Washington Place serves as the focal point for the transition from Hawaii's monarchy to that of U.S. annexation, and eventual statehood. It started with a merchant -- one of many who visited the islands during the nineteenth century later included a mixed marriage between an American and Hawaiian, and then moved on to military, political and diplomatic story.&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>The Queen established a trust in her will to create an institution dedicated to the welfare of orphaned Hawaiian children and the preservation of the Hawaiian language and culture. Today, Washington Place Foundation helps to operate this National Historic Landmark.&nbsp;</div>

This historic mansion was built in 1847 for John Dominis, a wealthy American merchant. John Dominis's son John Ownes Dominis married Queen Liliuokalani the last monarch of Hawaii The mansion serves as the focal point for the transition of Hawaii from a monarchy to that of a U.S. territory and state. A coup d'état backed by American forces in 1893 ousted the Queen, who lived here with her husband John Owen. The former monarch continued to live here after John Owens' death. During the coup, she was confined here as a prisoner temporarily. She continued to live here after the coup until her death. The residence transitioned to the executive residence for the U.S. territorial (and state) governors until 2002. The mansion is now a National Historic Landmark and open for tours. 

Washington Place Honolulu 

<div>Our Lady of Peace Cathedral (1843) in Honolulu is significant not only for its age and architecture but also because it symbolizes the significant transition on the islands away from Protestant influence on politics and religion to an&nbsp;acceptance of Roman Catholicism and an overall trend towards religious freedom.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Missionaries arrived on the islands as early as the 1770s, but the arrival of American Protestant missionaries in 1820 substantially altered the culture of the island. The protestant missionaries mainly sought to "civilize" Hawaiians with Christian and "American" instruction (ostensibly seeking to recreate the religious environment found in New England), which included becoming heavily involved in local politics. When French Catholic priests arrived in 1828, they were granted land by Hawaiian King Kamehameha III where they built a small cathedral. However, Protestant missionaries, having gained significant influence on the island's polity and culture, drove them off the island in 1831; those who remained were persecuted and often detained.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In 1839, the French military arrived with the intention of ending Catholic persecution on the islands; an incident now referred to as The Laplace Affair. The threat of war pushed King Kamehameha III to agree to the French demands and subsequently to stop the detention of Catholics, pay them reparations, and open the islands to accept Catholicism on the islands.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>As a result, the King published a Declaration of Rights that ushered in the era of religious freedom in Hawaii, followed by a new constitution in 1840 that legally granted freedom of religion to Hawaiian residents. Thus, protestants lost much of their influence on political and economic decisions, and the age of Roman Catholicism arrived; Catholic priests returned and built a stone church that same year. Three years later, Our Lady of Peace opened its doors (officially, August 15, 1843).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The church has undergone several renovations and additions, such as adding the Although visibly altered on both the interior and exterior, the building the vaulted ceiling in 1871, but still enjoys the same general look as it did in the 1840s.&nbsp; Our Lady of Peace is more than an old church, it is one of the oldest buildings in Hawaii. Its presence speaks to the influence of immigrants to Hawaii, including those from the U.S. and Europe who changed the island's economy, culture, politics, and of course religion.&nbsp;</div>

Our Lady of Peace (1843) is one of the oldest remaining buildings in Hawaii and serves as a monument to the religious struggles that took place in Hawaii during the 1830s. This historic church is a reminder of the growing American Protestant influence on the island's religious, cultural and political affairs, which included mistreatment of diverse religious leaders including Catholics and an effort to force Catholic priests to leave the island. The 1839 Laplace Affair was in many ways a response to these actions as the French military intervened to end the persecution of Catholics. The now-historic Cathedral opened its doors in 1843. 

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

<div>The Hawaii Theatre, completed on September 2, 1922 (significantly restored in 1992) is historically significant because of its opulence and grandeur when it opened, as well as its presence as a center of leisure for the islands during the interwar period, a time when the territory's population grew from roughly 250,000 to more than 400,000. The theater functioned dually as a live performing arts center and a motion picture theater, notably during its early years of operation. However, as is the case with many theaters during the era, the focus largely shifted away from show performances and towards motion pictures during the mid-twentieth century.&nbsp; It stands as the oldest theater remaining in Honolulu (and all of Hawaii) used for both live shows and films.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The theater, nicknamed the "Pride of the Pacific," opened on September 6, 1922, attended by Governor Wallace R. Parrington and members of the Territorial government, as well as many social elites.&nbsp; Costing roughly $500,000 dollars and seating more than 1,700 persons, its decor and architecture drew acclaim and garnered tremendous recognition. The decor and artwork found in the theater's interior enjoyed classical Greek and Roman influences and lively Art Deco elements, both of which embodied the contemporary views of art and culture during that period. A few examples include the "Glorification of Diana" mural, an expansive mosaic dome, and various sculptures found throughout the interior. Additionally, the building also enjoyed numerous modern amenities (at that time) including air conditioning, indirect lighting, fire and emergency exit systems, and wicker chairs in the balcony. Lastly, the theater construction included several modern engineering features such as a double cantilever system for building the balcony.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The theater served as a center for choice films and theatrical productions, drawing starts from Hollywood and Broadway as well as contemporary Hawaiian musicians and actors; the theater also functioned as a beacon of local culture with its array of local, but highly acclaimed, musical and theater productions. In fact, the theater stood among numerous theaters, bars, and restaurants as part of an entertainment district.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Though the theater has undergone renovations at various times during the last several decades, the theater largely remains intact and appears much the same today as it did when it opened. And, it continues to operate as a center of entertainment, although today it mostly serves (again) live productions and musical shows.&nbsp;</div>

Built in 1922, the exceptional decor, lavish details, and modern engineering behind the Hawaii Theatre made this building the "Pride of the Pacific" when it opened according to local newspaper reports. The theater hosted stage productions and films upon its open, with well-known performers frequenting the stage. Similar to many other historic theaters, the structure had suffered from deferred maintenance and faced potential demolition before a fundraising campaign and series of renovations in 1992 saved the Hawaii Theatre. Today, the historic structure continues to serve as a cultural and entertainment center. 

Hawaii Theatre

<div>The Dillingham building spans an entire city block and stands as a monument to the substantial influence of the Dillingham family in Hawaii and the significance of sugar to Hawaii. Built in 1929, the four-story Dillingham Transportation Building is an important landmark that demonstrates the growing commercial development of Honolulu and the Dillingham family empire of businesses that were connected to Hawaii's sugar industry. The building serves as an excellent example of Mediterranean Revival Style architecture.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>William F. Dillingham built the structure and together with his father, Benjamin Franklin Dillingham, operated numerous buildings connected to trade and transportation. William founded the Hawaiian Dredging Company, which evolved into the Dillingham Corporation and operated the Oahu Railway and Land Company established by his father, Benjamin Franklin Dillingham, in 1889. (In fact, Benjamin created numerous businesses and enjoyed substantial political ties (including to the King of Hawaii.) The Railway and Land Company spurred the development of the 160 mile Oahu Railroad which coincided with the Dillingham family becoming highly involved with Hawaii's sugar industry; the family developed numerous sugarcane plantations along its route and later on other of Hawaii's islands.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Dillingham family wealth was the result of the island's sugar trade. By the 1930s, 50,000 laborers&nbsp;in Hawaii produced more than one million tons of sugar. During the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, conflict between these laborers and American and European investors often defined the history of the island. Chinese, Japanese,&nbsp;and native Hawaiian workers provided the labor that created the island's wealth, but most of that wealth&nbsp;was concentrated in the hands of those connected to trade, finance, and infrastructure&nbsp;development. <br><br>In 1909, W.F. Dillingham constructed a dry dock at Pearl Harbor and then was contracted by the U.S. Government to dredge the harbor, all part of the process of converting it into a US Navy base. His company also enlarged the ports of Kahului and Hilo.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The first story of this building&nbsp;features a round, arched arcade, upper story quoins, and the low-pitched tile, hipped roof, convey the Italian and Spanish mission revival styles, which enjoyed enormous popularity in Hawaii during the 1920s. As with many Hawaiian structures built during the interwar period, the Mediterranean styles were deemed most appropriate for accommodating Hawaii's climate, notably due to the arcades providing a sense of airy openness. The Dillingham Transportation Building also plays an essential part in the history of the architecture located in the Bishop Street area.&nbsp;</div>

William F. Dillingham constructed this building in 1929 as a headquarters for his family's growing empire. Dillingham, along with his father Benjamin Franklin Dillingham, left an indelible mark on Hawaii with their entrepreneurial endeavors which included railroads, dredges and docks, and sugar plantations. The family was also responsible for many of the early docks at Pearl Harbor. The building serves as an excellent example of Mediterranean Revival Style architectural design style. 

Dillingham Transportation Building

<div>The Podmore Building (1902) is one of the few surviving cut stone buildings that utilized native lava stone, unique to Hawaii. Moreover, the masonry work demonstrates how builders of the era often relied on Hawaiian basalt from five nearby, Oahu quarries, deemed favorable for its durability. And, like many Hawaiian stories, there's a tie to immigration as Portuguese stonemasons had a big hand in much of the stonework performed at the quarry. As well, the building (which lies on merchant street) stands as a monument to a time when Honolulu experienced growth largely tied to merchants sailing to the islands; small merchants built stores near shores and busy wharves.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>As is the case with many early entrepreneurs on the island, Podmore arrived at Hawaii as an immigrant; specifically, he was an English sailor. He settled in Oahu and took a job as a clerk for four years (1886 - 90) and then opened a firm that served as an agent for the Anglo-American Crockery &amp; Glass Co of San Francisco, handling insurance, shipping, and other functions. He also earned money investing in real estate in the early 1900s.</div><div><br></div><div>On February 26, 1902, Peter Cushman Jones, Ltd. leased the vacant lot where the building stands to Joseph W. Podmore,&nbsp; with the condition he would financed the construction of a permanent structure. Photographs of the period show the builders used wooden hoists and scaffolds to lift the massive lava stones (basalt) mined from nearby quarries into place.&nbsp; Though many found the lava stones durable, some stones exploded if they caught on fire and had to be&nbsp;soaked with water. Hence, the reliance upon the basalt did not last for many years.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Given Podmore's desire to invest in real estate, it is not surprising that he built the storefront to rent (or lease); he did not reside or work there. Occupants of the building range from stores and sales to printers, painters, lawyers, and doctors.&nbsp; However, Podmore sold the building in 1907 to P.C. Jones who donated it to the Hawaiian Board of Missions, who used it as its headquarters from 1907 to 1916. The board published&nbsp; "The Friend," a notable monthly publication reporting on the missionary work of the Board throughout the Pacific, as well as local political and social issues including promoting temperance and racial equality, all of which comprise a significant portion of Hawaii's early twentieth-century history.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>After 1924 the building changed hands numerous times. One of its principal occupants included DHL Air Cargo. As of 2018, real-estate listings still show it as space available for use by retailers and professionals.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

This historic downtown Honolulu building was constructed in 1902 by English sailor and merchant Joseph W. Podmore. Podmore did business in Honolulu during the early 1900s and built this structure for the purpose of renting it to retailers and professionals. The structure is one of the few surviving stone-cut buildings in Hawaii and is made of local lava (basalt) rock. Portuguese immigrant stone masons that cut the lava rock to create the building, which later served as the headquarters of the Hawaiian Board of Missions. The building also served as a center of commerce and transportation as a variety of businesses from DHL to local retailers. 

Joseph W. Podmore Building

<p>The future Queen Liliuokalani was born, on September 2, 1838. Liliuokalani’s chosen name at birth was Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamakaʻeha.” According to Hawaiian culture, parents gave new names to their children, giving thoughtful consideration to their meaning. Traditionally, names usually come from dreams or visions. Events before or during a child’s birth were thought to be momentous in the naming process. In the Queen's case, her aunt had formed an eye infection during her birth. “Therefore, “Liliʻu” means “starting”; “Loloku”, “tearful”; “Walania”, “a burning pain”; and “Kamakaʻeha”, “sore eyes”.” Although many people can find naming a child after an eye infection as strange, Hawaiian culture does not recognize these names as “unlucky” or “terrible”; they celebrate the time of the child’s birth.</p><p>  Immediately after Queen Liliuokalani’s birth, she was taken to the house of another chief on the island, where she was adopted by her foster-mom, Konia, and her foster- dad, Paki. She didn’t meet her birth parents until later in life. Her royal heritage comes from her birth father “one of the high-ranking chieftess who served as an adviser to King Kamehameha III.” She had one sister who was raised with her Bernice, and over ten other siblings she never truly knew till later. They were also adopted by other chiefs. Continuous adoption, she mentions in her memoir, may seem strange to other cultures. However, this was completely normal to Hawaiian life. By the age of four, she went to Royal School, a boarding- school run by missionaries for children who had a claim to a throne. Queen Liliuokalani learned the proper use of the English language and was sent to bed hungry some nights. “A thick slice of bread covered with molasses was usually the sole article of their supper,” Queen Liliuokalani said in her memoir. She remembers looking in the gardens with others for esculent root or leaves they could cook. Her next educational experiences would be better suited for her mind.</p><p>   As a young girl, Queen Liliuokalani was a “studious girl”; her passion became acquiring knowledge, especially musically. Queen Liliuokalani said, “The Hawaiian people have been from time immemorial lovers of poetry and music, and have been apt in improvising historic poems, songs of love, and chants of worship so that praises of the living or wails over the dead were with them but the natural state of their feeling.” When she was in school, her instructors recognized her love and ability in reading music. Composing became “natural as breathing.” Queen Liliuokalani wrote multiple compositions; she began to lose count. She is credited with over 160 songs, including one of her cherished songs “Aloha ‘Oe.” She would retain her interest in music and poetry, producing more than 160 songs throughout her life, including the beloved "Aloha 'Oe" (“Farwell to Thee”), which can be heard in the Disney Channel film “Leo and Stich.” The song is a parting between two lovers. Queen Liliuokalani observed Colonel James Boyd and a young girl Maunawili in a loving farewell. When she made her way up a cliff, down a valley, and into the whirling winds back to Honolulu, she began to hum a dreamy tune. She also created one version of the “Hawaiian National Anthem,” it would remain the song of the nation for twenty years until her brother composed the words of Hawaii Ponoi. He was the king at the time, and he was the one to give directions to the band.</p><p>   Her brother, King Kalakaua started ruling on February 12, 1874. He organized the negotiation of a treaty of closer alliance with the United States. Before they left home on their first trip to America, King Kalakaua appointed a judge and minister to submit a treaty to the United States. However, the homeliness of America would soon change gears. King Kalakaua was held at gunpoint and forced to sign a new constitution. It became known as the “Bayonet Constitution”; it diminished the control of the Hawaiian monarchy, and only allowed men of a particular heritage could vote. After King Kalakaua passed in 1891, Queen Liliuokalani was declared queen; “the first female monarch of Hawaii to rule in her own right.”</p><p>   She saw the need for her country to have a new constitution, which challenged the unlawful rules of the Bayonet Constitution. The constitution has 81 articles including (1) All people were free to worship God according to their own beliefs. This was considered a sacred privilege, and must not be used to disrupt peace or safety of Hawaii. (2) The Queen is the Commander a Chief of the Army and Navy; she would be the one to appoint officials and train and lead forces to defend the kingdom. However, she cannot declare war without the permission of the legislative assembly. (3) The only people who are not allowed to vote are those who commit crimes. People were allowed to vote no matter their ethnicity. Queen Liliuokalani also continued to challenge other laws prohibiting the practice of the Hawaiian language in schools, and get back “voting rights for nonwhite laborers”. However, her constitution would never be used. The United States and sugar planters saw this constitution as a threat, and used its non-democratic terms as an excuse to take control of Hawaii and create a new government that was opposed by the majority of islanders. </p>

<p>Dedicated in 1982, this monument honors Queen Liliuokalani, the first female monarch and the last ruler of the independent kingdom of Hawaii. Liliuokalani would be remembered for her attempt to preserve the kingdom's independence and her love of the Hawaiian people. She is also known as a poet, musician, and leader who helped to craft a new Constitution to preserve the monarchy. She confronted sugar planters who supported annexation by the United States in ways that put her against many well-established American companies and wealthy families who hoped to seize power and present the island to the United States government for annexation. US Marines supported a coup led by people representing planters and others that saw Queen Liliuokalani’s palace surrounded by armed men. Liliuokalani agreed to step down from her throne to prevent bloodshed under the terms that she would be allowed to present her perspective to Congress. Queen Liliuokalani won over many American leaders and even convinced the President that the coup was a violation of Hawaiian sovereignty. The question of whether or not to annex Hawaii became a leading political issue until the Spanish-American War. At that time, Hawaii was seen as an important strategic location as it was halfway between the Philippines and America's West Coast. Congress supported annexation after the war and Hawaii became a US territory in 1900. Liliuokalani spent the rest of her life as an advocate of forgiveness although she still opposed annexation and worked to preserve some measure of political self-determination and cultural independence for Native Hawaiians. Queen Liliuokalani worked to preserve Hawaiian traditions: writing and playing songs, sharing her cultural heritage, and helping people in need. Before her death, she established the Liliuokalani Trust to be used to help orphaned Hawaiian children. Queen Liliuokalani said this in her memoir, "I could not turn back the time for the political change, but there is still time to save our heritage. You must remember never to cease to act because you fear you may fail.”</p>

Queen Liliuokalani Statue

<div>&nbsp;The Brewery building served as the original home to the Honolulu Malting and Brewing Company, makers of the popular Primo lager. A New York architect designed the building and constructed it with materials shipped from San Francisco during the years 1899-1900. In addition to being the oldest remaining brewery building in Hawaii, the structure is likely the only building of its type in the state and serves as an excellent example industrial architecture that was prevalent in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Operating a brewery in Hawaii proved daunting given the strong missionary and religious influence that dominated the politics of the island at the same time many American states were embracing prohibition. In addition, many of the workers on the island found that they could not escape the pervasive rules and work schedules imposed by plantation owners who sought to regulate workers and maximize production. <br><br>Four notable breweries had already failed in Hawaii during the nineteenth century, so it took herculean&nbsp;efforts for the island's fifth brewer to find success brewing and distributing beer. That beer, known as Primo Lager, was produced by the Honolulu Brewing and Malting Company, in this&nbsp;historic brick brewery. The brewery opened in 1900 and the first public consumption of Primo Lager occurred on February 13, 1901.&nbsp; Primo prospered until Prohibition began in Hawaii in 1918, two years earlier than the mainland when the Eighteenth Amendment took effect on January 16, 1920.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>After the dry era ended in 1933, The American Brewing Company (organized in December 1933) occupied the historic building while Primo Lager found a new home with the Hawaii Brewing Corporation in a new structure at Kapiolani Boulevard and Cooke Street. The Hawaii Brewing Corporation produced Primo until 1963. At that&nbsp;time, and similar to the experience of many local breweries throughout the U.S., Primo was absorbed by a much larger brewing conglomerate. American brewing numbers declined from more than 4,000 around the turn of the century to less than 100 by the 1980s and did not rise again until the emergence of the craft-beer boom, which as of 2019 has resulted in brewery numbers exceeding 7,000 breweries. Schiltz took control of Primo through the 1980s, followed thereafter by Strohs though 1997. After a lengthy gap in its production, Pabst reintroduced the brand and original recipe in 2007.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Pale Ambrew emerged as Primo's chief rival beer, first served on draught from the American Brewing Company on April 9, 1934, followed soon by Royal. Both Ambrew and Royal remained in production until 1962, a year before the company folded; a failed modernization plan devised in 1960 did not solve the company's financial woes tied to declining sales. After sitting empty, renovations to the building took place in 1996, but problems arose during the renovation that assured the building's emptiness for quite some time prior to the acquisition by the&nbsp;Hawaii Community Development Authority.&nbsp;</div>

Built from 1899-1900 and in the wake of the American annexation of Hawaii, this building was home to Hawaii's first major brewery, the Honolulu Malting and Brewing Company. The company was best known for the popular Primo Lager, a brand that lasted long after the building was sold to the American Brewery Company. Royal Brewery name is a reference to the beer made by that company, although Primo beer resumed production after Prohibition and was popular through the 1960s. Primo later became part of the Schlitz brewing empire before being produced by Stroh's and finally Pabst. The building is currently home to the Hawaii Community Development Authority and serves as a reminder of the numerous industrial buildings that arose during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 

The Royal Brewery (Hawaii Community Development Authority)

<div>The historical immigration building (1934) stands as a monument to the lengthy history of Hawaiian immigration, the anti-Japanese feelings that arose in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor bombing, and the work of C. W. Dickey, one of Hawaii's most prominent architects.&nbsp; The building, the first terra cotta on the islands, possesses a functional design suited for Hawaii's climate as well as decor that paid homage to the numerous immigrants arriving from Asia, notably China. During World War II, the building functioned as a detention station.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Hawaii's multi-racial society with its abundance of Asian and Pacific Islander populace resulted from several local and global factors, such as the opening of Japan in the 1850s and 1860s, the influence of the United States, and the emergence of the plantation-driven economy in Hawaii. As a result, from 1850 to 1950, more than 350,000 labor immigrants arrived.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The complicated nature of immigration also deeply affected the nature of the native Hawaiian population, which had already been in decline prior to most immigrants' arrival in Hawaii. Native populations had been decreasing during the middle nineteenth century because of disease, low fertility, the dispersal of the young men of the Kingdom on whaling cruises and heavy migration to the U.S. mainland (mostly to California for gold). However, while Hawaiian natives decreased in size -- down to around 46,000 in 1850, the island benefited from its ties to the U.S. West Coast as a trading partner for its agricultural crop exports -- and aspiring entrepreneurs sought to seize on the opportunity presented, including importing cheap laborers (eventually leading to several instances of labor strife and cultural clashes, too).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The first group of laborers, numbering 200, arrived from China in 1852. Primarily consisting of single males, the laborers worked on Chinese-owned sugar plantations and mills. The height of Chinese immigration (mostly men) arrived much later, though, chiefly during the periods of 1876 -1885 and 1890 -1897. An homage to the influx of Chinese immigrants exists on the entrance portico,&nbsp; accented by Chinese architectural details, of the now-historic immigration building designed by Dickey.</div><div><br></div><div>The building also includes a large, bronze compass plaque on the lobby floor which indicates distances to major cities on the Pacific Rim as China served as the biggest source of immigrants, but not the only one in Asia. For instance, Japanese, including an abundance of females, began to arrive after Japan's Meiji Restoration in 1868 and more substantially after the signing of a convention between the Hawaii and Japan 1886, which remained steady through the first decade of the 20th century.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>All told, more 344,835 immigrant laborers arrived during 1850 - 1950 period. The reported numbers of labor immigrants include Koreans (6,925) Chinese (45,064), Japanese (140,457), Pacific Islanders and Filipinos (127, 450), Russians (110), Norwegians (615), Germans (1,279), Italians (84), Portuguese (14,670), Spanish (2,299), Austrians (372), Puerto Ricans (5,200), and Americans (300).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The historic building represents a transition in the process of those immigrants as the United States annexed Hawaii as a territory in the late nineteenth century. The U.S. first built an expansive structure to handle immigration in 1905. Included in the new building was a special matrimonial room where more than 14,000 Japanese girls (from 1907 - 1923) first met their Japanese husbands living in Hawaii for whom they had been married by proxy while still in Japan. The present structure opened its doors in 1934 on the site of that original 1905 building.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The building, designed by Dickey of Maui enjoys his unique style of tiled, double-pitched, hipped "Dickey roof" composed of wide eaves, which became quite popular on the islands. As well, many features such as the aforementioned Chinese-accented porch area spoke to the desires of A. E. Burnett, longtime District Director of Immigration, who imagined the building would pay tribute to Hawaii's ethnic diversity and also serve as a model for other stations across the nation.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite Burnett's desires, World War II put a damper on his dream of the building serving as a welcoming center for immigrants. During the war, the station functioned as a detention station used by the U.S. Army and FBI. In the wake of the Pearl Harbor bombing, the U.S. agencies arrested individuals on the FBI's custodial detention list. Some accounts of the experience are anything but pleasant; Nisei physician Kazuo Miyamoto stated that he witnessed 180 men get packed into a dormitory fitted with only two toilets at the Immigration Station.&nbsp; He also noted that military police armed with bayoneted rifles guarded the prisoners twenty-four hours per day.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Newspaper editor Yasutaro Soga described the precarious nature of mealtimes during the war: "At mealtimes, we lined up single file and were led to a backyard under the strict surveillance of military police. Anyone who stepped out of line came face to face with the point of a bayonet. At the entrance to the yard, each of us got a mess kit and food. Then we sat down on the ground and ate. Although there was a covered rest area nearby, we were forbidden to use it. Even if the ground was wet or it had begun to rain, we were forced to eat sitting on the ground...Of course we had to wash our own utensils. After we returned to our room, a few of us were called in turn and ordered to clean our area and the toilets."&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Many of the prisoners were then sent to Sand Island and other incarceration centers on the U.S. mainland for the duration of the war.</div>

Built in 1934, the building served as a U.S. immigration office until World War II when it temporarily served as a detention facility that held persons of Japanese ancestry. As a result, the building reflects the complex and often difficult history of immigration history in Hawaii, from independence to annexation and from World War II to the present. For nearly 100 years, more than 300,000 immigrant laborers arrived to the islands, and most of these new arrivals hailed from Asia and worked at the island's many plantations and mills. Though plenty of negatives arrived with that history, the multi-cultural richness that also arrived is what C.W. Dickey -- prominent native Hawaiian architect attempted to capture with some of the design, though that was comprised during World War II. 

United States Immigration Office (Honolulu, Hawaii)

<div>The growth of Honolulu, like many cities of the nineteenth century, resulted in many urban issues that needed to be resolved such as disease due to unclean water. The Kakaako Pumping Station was completed in 1900 and is comprised of Hawaiian-cut bluestone and built utilizing the Industrial Romanesque style. This pumping station functioned as a significant part of Honolulu’s first professionally planned sewage disposal system which was developed in the final years of the 19th century. The system was upgraded through the years and eventually pushed sewage as far as 1200 feet from the island and into the deep waters of the Pacific.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Honolulu grew to a city of nearly 30,000 people by the turn of the twentieth century. With this growth came outbreaks of smallpox, as well as two cholera and one typhus epidemics between 1853 and 1895. These diseases claimed many lives. As was the case in most major cities late in the nineteenth century (after Louis Pasteur published his germ theory in 1861 that linked bacteria to disease), officials understood the need to improve the local water supply.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In 1896, The Republic of Hawaii hired acclaimed New York Sanitary Engineer, Mr. Rudolph Hering, to design a sewer system. He recommended developing a sewage network that would separately carry stormwater and sewage. Three years later, in 1899, construction started on sewer-lines that were laid out in a gravity flow pattern that settled at a low point, where the historic pumping station now occupies. O.G. Traphagen (who also designed the Moana Hotel on Waikiki Beach) designed the Kakaako Pumping Station that opened in 1900. The station housed steam-powered pumps that carried the sewage 1,200 feet from shore and into the sea.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In 1925, a brick addition with additional pumps was added on the southwestern side of the pumping station. And then, in 1939,&nbsp; a new pumping station (connected to the original station) replaced the original pumps, which operated until 1955 when the nearby Ala Moana Pumping Station opened and replaced the historic station which continued to serve the city as a backup.</div><div><br></div><div>Though the pumping station solved some of the problems associated with urban growth, Hawaii's continued population boom, massive tourism industry, and abundance of marine traffic mean sewage remains a constant issue. In 2006, various breakdowns led to a situation that forced officials to dump tremendous amounts of contaminated water into a nearby canal. This was disastrous as the ocean and marine life must absorb the sewage. <br></div>

As Hawaii (and Honolulu) grew, so did urban issues including disease associated with unclean drinking water. From 1896 to 1900, officials financed the construction of a modern sewer system which included this pumping station which pushed the island's sewage 1,200 feet out to sea. This historic building operated as the primary pumping station for the area near Waikiki until 1955. In 2014, efforts began to convert the historic building into the Na Kupuna Makamae (The Beloved Kupuna) Center for senior citizens.  

To see the pumping station is to understand the constant battle created by urbanization, once deemed a "flush and forget" society by environmental historian, Theodore Steinberg.  Urban locations must always find a way to drink from clean water while simultaneously using that water to dispose of waste. Thus, as Oahu grew, so did its urban problems and the pumping station served as its first line of defense against one of its most significant issues -- disease related to unclean water. 

Downtown Honolulu Walking Tour

Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information