Happy 91st birthday King Street building!

by Estee Manfredi | July 27, 2018

King Street first floor during the opening and dedication celebration in 1927

The Hawaiian Electric Company building has quietly stood on the corner of King, Richards and Merchant streets on Oahu since 1927. Many of the neighboring buildings and surrounding roads have changed but this year marks 91 years as one of downtown Honolulu’s landmark buildings.

Here are 9 facts about the building:

#1

The Hawaiian Electric Company building was designed by New York architects York & Sawyer with assistance from Honolulu architects Emory & Webb and constructed by Ralph E. Wooley. The building was completed at a cost of $750,000 and opened for business on July 25, 1927.

#2

The building was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style (which was popular for large buildings in the 20s) and is characterized by a terra cotta roof, stucco exterior, round arch motifs with ornate detailing and ornamental iron work. The building also has a bell-tower, parapets and decorative columns. Other notable Oahu buildings built in this style are Honolulu Hale, McKinley High School and the downtown post office next door.

In 1927, A story about the building’s opening and dedication celebration from The Pacific Commercial advertiser stated that “the building is, architecturally, the most elegant interior space of any building in the state.”

#3

When its doors opened, the first floor of the building used to be open to the public as a display showroom for the retail department’s electrical appliances and three cashier cages with bronze grills.

The King Street side of the second floor held private offices for company officials that were furnished in walnut, drapes and a velvet oriental rug. The other side of the second floor housed the electric fixtures department. This department was set up as a series of rooms decorated and arranged to represent the rooms of a modern home with electric appliances. The rooms were wired with wall and floor outlets so customers could view electric lighting fixtures in a home setting before purchasing them. The second floor also housed a library, and the accounting and mailing departments.

The third floor housed a demonstration room where Home Economist Director Miriam Jackson had a kitchen for cooking classes and electric range demonstrations. The offices of the Ice department, the addressograph room and the paymaster were also on the third floor, but the rest of the offices were rented out to independent professionals such as lawyers, doctors, and beauticians.

#4

In 1937, the engineering department (which used to be in a small building at the Archer Lane warehouse) moved into the 4th floor and stayed there until the Ward Avenue building was built in 1947.

#5

The building went through major renovations in 1938. Air conditioning was installed in the building and a cafeteria was added. Home services moved to the second floor and held demonstrations in a new auditorium. The third and fourth floors were extended to create more office space for the increased staff.

Photo of the King St. Building from 1927. The building was designed by New York architect York & Sawyer with help from Honolulu architect Emory & Webb. In this rendering you can see the third-floor lanai area that was later enclosed to create more office space.

#6

The ceiling mural on the Richards Street side of the building was hand-painted by renown San Francisco muralist Julian Garnsey. Garnsey was known for painting allegorical and mythological figures. The left and right arches are decorated with Greek masks and gods and goddesses. The center panel features Buddha, Christ, the Egyptian goddess Isis (symbolizing light), Greek goddess Juno (symbolizing pride), and trojan soldiers (symbolizing nobility).

One of the three ceiling murals by Julian Garnsey at the Richards Street side of the building.

#7

Although the most recognized of our Oahu buildings, the King Street building was not our first office. The very first office was a one story 20’ by 30’ brick building at 186 South King St. that we leased from 1891–1927. For need of bigger space, another office was concurrently leased at 223 King St. (next door to our building) from 1901 until 1927.

In 1922, Hawaiian Electric signed a 60-year lease for $9,000 annually on land leased from Bishop Estate. The lease stated that the company was not permitted to make or sell alcoholic beverages or manufacture or sell opium, cocoa leaves or cocaine. The lease expired in 1982 and the land and building ownership reverted to Bishop Estate. Now, lease rents are renegotiated every five years.

This is the building which housed our first office. It is shown here in 1962 before it was torn down and made into a parking lot for the Alexander & Young building.

#8

A birthday cake with 91 candles might pose a fire hazard, however, as the building used almost no wood for construction, it is both termite and fire proof!

Construction photo of the King St. building from 1926. Without the finished stucco exterior, you can see the ‘fireproof’ building’s reinforced concrete, brick and hollow tile. To the right of the construction you can see Hawaiian Electric’s (second) office building at 223 S. King St.

#9

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as a part of the Hawaii Capital Historic District. This district covers 57 acres of government and private buildings including the Iolani Palace, State Capitol, Hawaii State Library, Mission Houses and other historic places.

Estee Manfredi is the corporate librarian for Hawaiian Electric.