Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 1993 — Waialua Court House to become OHA community office [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Waialua Court House to become OHA community office

by Jeff Clark The Waialua Court House, located on the makai side of Kamehameha Highway in the heart of Hale'iwa, will be renovated and turned over to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for use as a community extension office. Hale'iwa Main Street, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to preserve the historic district of that town, supported a bill passed b\ the Legislature granting funds to renovate the Court House. The hui was urged to find a tenant so that the renovation could be done in a way that would best fit the building's use while retaining its historical features and character. Through discussions with the community, Main Street determined OHA would be the best tenant, because Hawaiians living from Mililani to Kahalu'u could more easily benefit from OHA's programs if there was an office in the country. In addition, the land on whieh the building sits is part of the ceded lands taken by the

U.S. at annexation, and over whieh DLNR has jurisdiction. The North Shore Neighborhood Board approved the plan on May 25, and OHA chairman Clayton Hee on July 19 wrote the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) requesting that OHA be given a lease on the property after it is renovated. At press time the state Land Board (part of DLNR) was expected to give OHA a 65-year lease - with no rent payment due (OHA would have been entitled to 20 percent of the lease rent, and DLNR is waiving its 80 percent). Then it will be up to OHA's Board of Trustees to officially approve the lease. OHA's land and sovereignty committee has been keeping abreast of the situation so the trustees will be ready to act when the lease is ready. "This is not meant in any way to settle the historic land claims, but it starts to demonstrate very clearly that the transfer of such lands ean not only be possible, but beneficial," said OHA land

officer Linda Delaney. "We see it as a gathering plaee for programs and services," said Delaney, who mentioned Alu Like and Pūnana Leo as agencies that could possibly share the

building with OHA. The restoration will take about a year to complete, leaving plenty of time to work out the details and apprise the community of what will be available, "so everyone ean recognize the opportunity it represents, and take part," Delaney added. Restoration Hale'iwa Main Street worked with Sen. Eloise Tungpalan (chair of the Senate Committee on Culture, Arts and Historic Preservation) and elected officials from the North Shore in getting $460,000 appropriated by the state

Legislature during the last session. The firm selected for the restoration job, Spencer Mason Architects, estimates the restoration will cost $530,000, plus $48,000 in fees. However, it estimates that $50,000 or so of that cost could be absorbed by having the community take care of landscaping, painting, signage, etc. by

providing in-kind contributions. History The parcel of land, just over an acre, was privately owned by the Emerson family, who gave it back to the Hawaiian Kingdom in

1880. The wooden Court House was constructed in 1913. As the only government building in the district, the Waialua Court House served as a community gathering plaee. A post office and a public health center occupied the main floor along with the court room, and a eell block with four cells was located in the basement.

Placed on the Hawai'i Register of Historic Places in 1979, the hale has not been used as a court house or elinie since 1989, and vandalism forced the boarding up of its windows. Its architecture is

significant to preservationists because the building is the only example of Greek Revival style in the district. Although the columns give it a Greek feel, its exaggerated eaves, a concession to the tropical climate, are an important part of the building's style, according to Spencer Mason.

The Waialua Court House, presently boarded shut, will be restored and turned into a community gathering plaee. Photo by Jeff Clark