H. Alexander Walker Residence

H. Alexander Walker Residence
Location: 2616 Pali Highway, Honolulu, Hawaii
Area: 6 acres (2.4 ha)
Built: 1905
Architectural style: Classical Revival
Governing body: Private
NRHP Reference#: 73000665[1]
Added to NRHP: April 24, 1973

The H. Alexander Walker Residence or Walker Estate is a historic home located in the upper Nuʻuanu Valley of Honolulu, Hawaii.

History

The house was built in 1903 by George Rodiek of Hackfield and Company, a naturalised German immigrant. Originally the estate comprised a two-story home with a series of gardens featuring ferns, rocks and orchards, sometimes called the oldest formal Japanese garden in Honolulu.[2]

Rodiek served as German consul as well as president of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association. In 1917, he was accused of involvement in the Hindu German Conspiracy to foment revolution in India. Though subsequently given a presidential pardon, he sold the house to Alan Wilcox in 1918 and moved with his family to San Francisco, never to return.[3] In the 1930s the house was owned by Henry Alexander Walker, president of American Factors, the successor firm to Hackfeld and Company, and another president of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association.[4]

On April 24, 1973, the house was added as site 73000665 to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Oahu[1] and listed as a "valuable historic property" by Hawaii Historic Places. Una Walker, Henry's widow, maintained the premises by making the grounds available for weddings and visitors. The gardens were closed to the public in 1983. In 1989, two years after Una's death, the house and its 5.86-acre (23,700 m2) grounds were sold by the Walker heirs to Masao Nangaku of Minami Group (USA) Inc. for $8.5 million. His intention was to restore the original house to be used as a corporate retreat. He renovated the house and received a Preservation Honor Award from the Historic Hawaii Foundation, as well as a Grand Award in the Building Industry of America's Renaissance competition.[3]

After Nangaku experienced financial problems, Richard Fried and partners took the property over and, in 1998, asked for planning permission to build a chapel to facilitate weddings on the site. When this was refused, the estate was sold to Holy-eye the same day for $5 million. In 2005, Holy-Eye listed the estate for sale, asking $12.9 million.[2]

In June 2006, the property was sold to real-estate developer TR Partners who planned to demolish the building.[5] Initial plans to subdivide and build 20 new homes were rejected.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
  2. ^ a b Andrew Gomes (June 29, 2006). "Developer targeting esteemed Walker Estate". Honolulu Advertiser. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/29/ln/FP606290343.html. Retrieved June 27, 2010. 
  3. ^ a b "Walker Estate". Mason Architects. http://www.masonarch.com/projects/restoration/walker.html. Retrieved June 27, 2010. 
  4. ^ Dorothy Riconda; Robert M. Fox (September 18, 1972). "H. Alexander Walker Residence nomination form". National Register of Historic Places. U.S. National Park Service. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/73000665.pdf. Retrieved June 27, 2010. 
  5. ^ "Walker Estate: Nu’uanu, Oahu". Most Endangered Historic Sites in Hawaii. Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation. 2006. http://www.historichawaii.org/MostEndangered/2006_HMEP/06_WalkerEstate.html. Retrieved June 27, 2010. 
  6. ^ Nina Wu. "The former Walker Estate may soon become history: Developers plan to raze the historic estate to build homes". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/09/09/business/story03.html. Retrieved June 27, 2010.