Frederic W Hardy was born of early New England ancestry on January 23, 1859, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of George Dana Boardman and Olive (Andrews) Hardy.
He was educated in the grammar and high schools of Malden Mass and in 1881 received the degree of Bachelor of Arts cum laude from Harvard.
Mr. Hardy came to the Islands in 1882 on account of health, (he had a severe attack of malaria-typhoid fever.) He sailed from New York to San Francisco, via the Isthmus of Panama, by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and then by the schooner ‘Consuelo’ to Kahului, Maui, arriving in April, 1883.
In September, 1883, he was appointed vice-principal of the Wailuku school and was the first teacher to bear such a title in the kingdom. The late DD Baldwin was at that time inspector-general of schools and CR Bishop, president of the board of education.
From 1884-1888 he was instructor at Lahainaluna Seminary of which HR Hitchcock was principal. He taught universal history, algebra, geometry, etc.
In December 1896 he married Lillian Hitchcock Aiken, daughter of Dr PJ Aiken, at Paia, Maui. (Dr Aiken was the first doctor of the first hospital of Maui Agricultural Company , then known as the Paia Plantation.) They had a son, Hollis Aiken Hardy.
Hardy became principal of the Makawao school in September, 1888. He was the first teacher and principal of the Makawao School.
As school funds and equipment were very limited in those early days, his wife donated both time and material to teach the girls sewing, crocheting and embroidery, in which she was very skilled.
In 1897, Hardy added to an existing house to create what is now known as the ‘Hardy House,’ one of the oldest wood frame houses in Makawao. It was built onto an existing one room house (that was then about 10-15 years old.)
The new house had a double pitch (Hawaiian) roof; it is reminiscent of those by Charles W Dickey (Hardy was friend of Charles H Dickey, the architect’s son.)
Though not documented, some have concluded that from the circumstantial evidence that CW Dickey played a part in the design of the house (Dickey had started practicing in Hawai‘i in 1895.)
The house once stood on about 20-acres of land; the site is now about ½- acre. The house was originally ‘T’ shaped as viewed from the top. The removal of the lanai makes the house resemble a modified ‘L.’
The house has two stories in the bedroom portion and one story in the living room, downstairs bath, utility area , kitchen , and dining room section.
The Victorian architectural style was popular in the Eastern United States; San Francisco, California; etc. but a rarity in Hawaii. The wealthier early families who moved to Hawaii fashioned their homes and lives according to customs on the mainland.
Lumber, square nails, windows, fixtures , furniture, etc. came from around the Horn and from California. Lumber was floated from ship to shore.
Supplies were hauled in bullock drawn carts over muddy roads to the construction site. It took two days for a Bullock team to make the 26 mile trip. The Hardy house had such an eventful beginning.
The down stairs veranda is fifty feet long and almost seven feet wide. It provides access to the house through four doors (two to the living room and one to each of the two downstairs bedrooms.)
The double wood paneled bottom half of these doors is molded. The veranda has wooden floors and seven supporting columns . The tops of these columns are decorated with gingerbread scroll brackets.
The veranda continues for fifteen feet at right angles to the fifty foot length around a corner to provide private entrance to each of the two downstairs bedrooms. The windows and doors are flanked with original louvered shutters.
Very few wooden houses of that age have survived the termites, harsh tropical climate and temptation to tear down the old to build new. The Hardy House is on the National Register of Historic Places; it is also known as the Rezents House. (Lots of information here is from NPS and Maui News, April 9, 1920.)
Follow Peter T Young on Facebook
Follow Peter T Young on Google+
Follow Peter T Young on LinkedIn
Follow Peter T Young on Blogger
Hollis Aiken Hardy, the son of Frederick and Lillian, was my grandfather. He currently has 6 other living grandchildren, and many more younger descendants in California, Washington and Arkansas.