Historic Hawai‘i Foundation 2025 Mid-Session Legislative Update
3/11/25: As the Hawai‘i State Legislature reached the half-way point of the session, bills that were approved in their assigned committees and three votes by in their full chamber of origin “passed over” to the other chamber. Bills that met the mandatory deadlines are moving [...]
Bringing it All Back Home: Our DIY Historical Designation
By Mindy Pennybacker It began with plaque envy. In 2015, after my husband, Don Wallace, and I had purchased 3052 Hibiscus Drive from my four brothers, we noticed that more than a dozen homes in our neighborhood boasted elegant, bronze plaques identifying them as City and County Historic [...]
Window Repair as a Labor of Love
By Laurel Margerum Growing up, I did not pay much attention to the 120 to 140-year-old windows at my family’s seasonal camp in Maine. I was much more interested in the world to be explored on the other side of the glass, from the rocky islands to be [...]
Hawai‘i State Capitol Reflecting Pools
In August, the Hawai‘i Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) issued a Draft Environmental Assessment for public review and comment on the “Rehabilitation of Chambers Level Water Proofing System and Related Improvements” (aka “Hawai‘i Capitol Pools Improvement Project”) for the Hawai‘i State Capitol. DAGS stated that the [...]
East Hawai‘i Cultural Center’s Native Plant Revitalization Project
For over 40 years, the historic former courthouse and police station in downtown Hilo has been home to the East Hawai‘i Cultural Center (EHCC), a nonprofit arts organization serving Hilo’s creative community since 1969. On the ground floor, galleries and exhibition spaces showcase the work of local and [...]
Caretaking a Historic Cottage in Waimea
By Camie Foster Klum Our family has the privilege of serving as the current caretakers of an 8- by 10-foot board-and-batten cottage in the uplands of Waimea on the Big Island on what once was Parker Ranch land. We are not quite sure how old it is, but we [...]