Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-06-17
Evolution of the Campus
Is ~~ ==~
How Buildings Developed
BY ARTHUR c. ALEXANDER.


In lS41 the school grounds proper en-
closed by a stone wall had an area Of
about 80 1-2 acres The only portion
Of this original wall remaining Is that
fronting on Punahou street and ex-
tending from the corner Of Wilder ave-
nue. TO a point about opposite Hast
ings street. From this point the wall
followed the line Of the large alsa-
roba trees below Alexander field and
connected near where Rice hall stands
with a wall running along the foot OF
Rocky hill back Of Mr.. Barwick's cot
tage. From this point the enclosing
wall ran makai about on a line with
Mr.. Howland's cottage to point lit
tie below Wilder avenue, and then
approximately along the line OF Wild
er avenue TO Punahou street. The
main entrance TO the grounds was
then. as now, at the west corner OF the
wall. This Is shown on a map OF the
grounds made by Thecphilus Metcaf.
q local surveyor, in lS4S.
Outside Of this enclosed area the
school property extended makai as far
as the Dillingham; premises and mau-
ka to line just beyond Rocky Hill.
Additional land in Manoa was ac-
quired from the government about
1919 and this land was enclosed by q
wall a few years later. The land ly-
ing below the original school prem.
ises must have been enclosed with a
wall about the same time. The upper
land running into Maaoa valley was
known until comparatively recent
years as the Upper Pasture" and the
land below Wilder avenue as the
Lower Pasture.
The map made by Mr.. Metcalf in
lS4S shows the E-shaped adobe build.
ings, another bdilding on the Waikiki
side, evidently the previous residence
of Mr.. Bingham. and two buildings.
probably servants quarters, in the
rear of the original adobe buildings.
In the corner aboye the spring near
where Dole Hall stands is shown q
small house which was later occupied
by a Hawaiian named John Pauna. In
the lower pasture outsideG of the en-
closing wall are shown q number OF
small houses, one with small culti-
waited area about IT, This house was
occupied later for many years by an
eiuplOyG Oh f7uuduOus ]" 0HoAolioJ oAAN
his family.
Taro Patches Were Numerous.
A large portion of the school
grounds as enclosed In 1871 was TAX.
en- up by the taro patches. These ex.
tended from the spring to somewhere
below the present location of Charles
RI. Bishop hall and westerly to the
former tennis courts back Of Old
School hall. The rest of the enclosed
grounds were irrigated by water from
the spring and cultivated by the stu
dents in sections. In 1853 Old School
hall was built and a few years later
the presidents house, known as the
sOctagon, was erected near where
Bishop hall of science stands. A pho.
tograpil made about 1863 shows pick.
ct fence in front of the presidents
house This fence was still standing
In 1889. Above the presidents house
just mauka Of Mr.. MacNeils house
Was a cattle pen enclosed by nign
stone wall with a large post in the
oenter Tor roping cattle and horses.
At stated intervals the animals from
fhe upper pasture were driven into
this pen and tailed, and once a year
All the unbranded calves were brought
IN for branding. In the south corner
OF the cattle pen was drinking
trough fed by pipe from the spring
and about the drinking trough mud
Dis and fonl-smelling slough. ], which
would hardly have been Gated sam.
tary at the present day
Few Trees In Early Days.,
The early pictures of the campus
show great absence OF trees. With.
in the courts formed by the wings Of
the adobe buildings there were three
or four tamarind trees and q few other.
young trees. Beck OF the presidents
house and along the wall of the cat
tie pen in the sixties was a row of
fig trees and in the presidents yard
some young algaroba, arbor vitae and
one or two monkey-pod trees. II is
hard to credit the statement now, but
in 1872 recall climbing into an al.
garoba tree now standing in front of
Bishop hall of science and looking for
the signals on Telegraph hill' at Kali
muki, where all incoming vessels were
sighted and their names signaled to
the town. With my brothers, from the
veranda of the ''octagon" when a