Kaneohe Ranch Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Kaneohe Ranch Building
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Corner view
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 Location in Hawaii
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| Nearest city | Kailua, Hawaii |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1940 |
| Architect | Albert Ely Ives |
| Architectural style | Hawaiian style |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001150 |
| Added to NRHP | June 5, 1987 |
The Kaneohe Ranch Building is a historic building in Oʻahu, Hawaii. It was built in 1940. This building was the main office for Kaneohe Ranch. The ranch owned a huge amount of land, about 12,000 acres (4,856 hectares). This land was important to the towns of Kāneʻohe and Kailua.
The building is special for two main reasons. First, it was the center of the important Kaneohe Ranch. Second, it shows off a unique Hawaiian style of architecture. A famous architect named Albert Ely Ives designed it. He also designed the Plantation Estate, which was once a "Winter White House" for President Barack Obama. The Kaneohe Ranch Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1987. This means it's a very important historical site.
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Hawaiian Style Architecture
The Kaneohe Ranch Building shows off a special kind of Hawaiian architecture. This style became popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
Key Features of the Building
- Roof: It has a "Dickey roof," which means it has two sloped parts.
- Eaves: The roof has wide parts that hang over the walls. These are called "overhanging eaves."
- Walls: The walls are made of strong material covered with plaster.
- Airflow: The building was designed to let a lot of air move through it. This helps keep it cool in Hawaii's warm climate.
Albert Ely Ives, the architect, was mostly known for designing homes. The Kaneohe Ranch Building is one of the few business buildings he designed.
History of the Land and Ranch
The land where the Kaneohe Ranch Building stands has a long history.
Early Land Ownership
In the mid-1800s, most of this land belonged to Kalama. She was the Queen Consort (wife of the king) of Kamehameha III. Later, she was the Queen Dowager (a queen who outlives her king) of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.
Queen Kalama and a judge named Charles Coffin Harris started a sugarcane farm on the land. But the farm didn't do well. After Queen Kalama passed away in 1870, the land eventually went to Judge Harris's daughter, Nannie H. Rice.
Founding of Kaneohe Ranch
In 1893, Nannie H. Rice leased about 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) of land to a man named J. P. Mendonca. He then started Kaneohe Ranch in 1894. Some lower, wet areas of the land were rented out to Chinese farmers who grew rice.
In 1907, James Bicknell Castle became the main owner of the Ranch. Later, in 1917, his son, Harold K.L. Castle, bought the land from Mrs. Rice.
Ranching and Development
For many years, most of the land was used for raising cattle. This continued until World War II. During the war, the military took over a lot of the ranch land.
After the war, the land that used to be part of the ranch was used for building homes. This allowed for new neighborhoods to grow in the area.
Images for kids
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Front across Auloa Rd.
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Southwest corner
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Southeast corner
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View from uphill
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Castle Foundation Building entrance
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Castle Foundation Building side view
