Chee Kung Tong Society Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Chee Kung Tong Society Building
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The society building c.1981
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| Location | 2151 Vineyard St., Wailuku, Hawaii |
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| Built | 1904 |
| MPS | Chinese Tong Houses of Maui Island TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000171 |
| Added to NRHP | November 15, 1982 |
The Chee Kung Tong Society Hall was a special building in Wailuku, Maui. It was built to help Chinese men who had moved to Hawaii, especially those working on sugarcane plantations. This hall offered a place for them to get religious and political support. It also provided "mutual aid," which means people helped each other out.
Later, in the 1920s, the building became a place where single men could live, like a dormitory. Over time, it was not taken care of and eventually fell apart in 1996. Today, you can still see parts of its foundation, some cement structures, and a special gate with a wall facing the street.
This site was once listed on both the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. After it collapsed, it was removed from the Hawaii State Register. However, it is still listed in the National Register of Historic Places database.
Contents
A Look Back: The Hall's History
It's a bit unclear exactly when the Chee Kung Tong Society Hall was first built. Some records from Maui County say it was built in 1897. But a newspaper article from December 1904 mentioned that the building was finished and celebrated in January 1905.
The hall was a very important place for Chinese immigrants. It gave them a spot to meet, hang out, and play games like pai gow. Most importantly, it was a place where they could get help and support from their community.
Around 1928, the hall changed its purpose. It became a dormitory, a place for single men to live. This continued until the 1960s. After the last person living there passed away, the property was left empty and neglected.
Why the Building Collapsed
The building started to show signs of trouble before it fully collapsed. In September 1988, part of one of its walls broke off. It fell onto nearby trees, plants, and even two clothesline poles on a neighbor's property.
Then, on April 17, 1996, the old wooden building finally fell down. This happened because of damage from wood rot, termites, and simply gravity. Before it collapsed, the leaders of the society had planned to meet. They wanted to talk about what to do with the building. They even hoped to save some parts of the building to use if they ever rebuilt it.
What the Building Looked Like
The entire property covers about 4,544 square feet. This information comes from Maui County tax records.
The main entrance had a special gate. It was made of two concrete posts and a lintel (a horizontal support beam) with Chinese characters carved into it. These characters used to be outlined in red. The front of the gate, facing the street, spelled out Chee Kung Fui Kon, which was the name of the society. On the back of the gate, there was a phrase that translates to Everyone is equal.
The main building itself was a two-story rectangle. It was about 55 feet long and 34 feet wide. It had covered verandas (porches) on both floors. The roof had a special design with intersecting gables (triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof). It also had fish-shaped shingles painted in different colors.
Other cool details included a scalloped archway and decorative brackets shaped like wheels and four-leaf clovers. The entrance also had a carved bridgeboard. You could also see diamonds and rectangles in the design, used as decorative lintels and balustrades (rows of small posts).
Next to the main building, on the east side, there was another structure. It was a trapezoid-shaped building made of cinder blocks. It was about 19 feet by 32 feet.
Historic Importance
The Chee Kung Tong Society Hall site was recognized as historically important. It was added to the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places on July 30, 1982. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 15, 1982.
However, after the building collapsed, it was removed from the Hawaii State Register in August 1998. Even though it's gone, the site is still listed in the National Register of Historic Places database. This means it's still recognized for its historical value at a national level.
What's Left Today
Today, the site of the Chee Kung Tong Society Hall looks very different. Most of the building is gone. You can only see a few cement structures and several trees that hide the front of the property.
The old gate and its walls, the stairs, sidewalks, and parts of the foundation are still there. The cinderblock building also remains. However, everything is in a very old and worn-out condition. The phrase Everyone is equal on the back of the gate is now very hard to read.
In 2010, when the property was listed for sale, it was noted that it didn't have a water meter. There might also be rules about building on the site because it's in an area managed by a redevelopment authority.
Gallery
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The lot in October 2007.
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The lot in March 2010
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Gate to the property.
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Back of the gate.
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Side view of the gate and wall.
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Looking from the gate onto the property.
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The steps that formerly led into the Hall.
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Part of the foundation stones that held up the building.
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The cinderblock building that is left on the site.
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Inside of the cinderblock building.
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Closeup of the fireplace area.
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Unknown steel beam on the property.
