Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Dillingham Transportation Building

In 1889, after devoting twenty years to the hardware business, Benjamin Franklin (Frank) Dillingham created the O‘ahu Railroad and Land Company (OR&L.) Through these rail interests, the corporation became involved with the development of the various sugarcane plantations along its route, and later expanded its cane activities to the islands of Kauai, Maui and Hawai‘i with the McBryde, Kihei, Puna and Olaʻa Sugar Companies.

Built in 1929, in memory of Dillingham by his son Walter Francis Dillingham, the 4-story Dillingham Transportation Building carries the ‘transportation building’ because at that time the Dillingham family was concerned with various types of transportation to and around Hawaii. (Walter founded the Hawaiian Dredging Company (later Dillingham Construction) and ran the O‘ahu Railway and Land Company founded by his father.)

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Central Fire Station

No organized fire protection system existed in Honolulu until November 6, 1850, when the city’s first volunteer fire brigade was formed. On December 27, 1850, King Kamehameha III established by ordinance in the Privy Council creating the Honolulu Volunteer Fire Department; the 1851 legislature enacted the ordinance into law.

In 1897, Central Fire Station was relocated to its present site at Beretania and Fort Streets. The Central Fire Station soon became outmoded. The Romanesque Revival rock structure was replaced in 1934 by a Dickey designed Moderne/Art Deco two-story reinforced concrete building (Kohn M Young was the engineer.)

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Honolulu’s General Store

Three brothers, Heinrich (1822-1893,) Georg (1827-1907) and Gustav (1830-1902) formed branches of Melchers Company, first in Mazatlán, Mexico (1846,) then seven years later in Honolulu (1853.) (Melchers building is still there and today is the oldest commercial building in Honolulu.)

The Honolulu store was officially opened on February 20, 1854; it sold mostly European goods, items found in most dry goods stores of that time, including fabrics, cigars and china goods. It served as Honolulu’s general store.

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Honolulu Hale

The debate on the site of City Hall waged in Honolulu … “The plan of having all of the public buildings located in one part of the city is an excellent one, but the general convenience of the public should be taken into consideration.” “The Honolulu Hale site is very central and I should like […]

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Alexander & Baldwin Building

In 1843, Samuel Thomas Alexander and Henry Perrine Baldwin, sons of early missionaries to Hawaiʻi, met in Lāhainā, Maui. They grew up together, became close friends and went on to develop a sugar-growing partnership. In 1869, they purchased 12-acres of land in Makawao and the following year an additional 559-acres. That same year, the partners […]