The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-09-28
HONOLULU HALE SOON
TO Be ONLY MEMORY
Work Of Tearing Down Ancient,
Historic and Delapidated Land
mark Is Begun-Was Sold For
Ten Dollars

Honolulu Hale Is coming down. Work
Of destruction on this ancient and his.
toric landmark has been commenced
and soon the delapidated structure will
be only cloud Of dust and memory,
This famous building was erected by
King Kamehameha III and was sold
for $40 to man named Godfrey, with
the proviso that II be torn down and
removed. &C.. .g. a..
Godfrey, despite the song for which
he obtained the building, found that
he had a white elephant on his hands,
for il was very hard to dispose Of il,
II the purchaser had been contrac-
tor, well and good; for he could have
utilized the material in his business.
As il was, local contractors, when ap.
preached, were willing to offer $50 for
the ruin, and stand the expense Of cart,
ing IL away. They figured that at that
the original purchaser would be max.
ing profit Of one hundred per cent,
and that was ample, in these hard
times.
Once Pretentious Building.
Honolulu Hale was erected in 1885
by Kauikeaouli, otherwise known as
Kamehameha III. At the time Of its
construction II was easily the most pre-,
tentious ediice in Honolulu. The Ha
waiian government leased il from the
king and, for several years, until the
building Of the present old custom
house on lower Fort Street, Kameha
meha III's architectural triumph wa
lsed as the customs headquarters. The
.roasury department, education bureau
and Offices Of the department of the
interior also found shelter under Ho
aolulu Hale's hospitable roof.
Later on Honolulu Hale became the
post Office, and II was for brief pc
Rod the editorial home Of The Adver
tiser. Since then the old building has
been used in variety of ways. II
has been a court house and an Office,
building; q sample.room and the rem
devious Of the eity's gossipers; q
rooming house and an election booth
and it has, on occasion been used as a
Jail. 49, r.
Godfrey hummed and hawed about
tearing down the building, and, in al
probability would not have commenced
the job, had not the crazy shack
started TO tumble down of its own
accord. Then, Proprietor Godfrey was
forced to act. ~
Just what disposition Godfrey has
made Of his historic ruin, is unknown
to anyone but Godfrey, himself, and
he is, to say the least, reticent about
imparting information about his prop
erty. u Is a.~." <l@ f.a-@,,'.ts 70!
Yesterday two inky inscriptions were
noticed on the wall facing Post Office
Alley, one reading what Is the Ha.
Naiian Historical Society," Is II
Alivei'' and the other, "Who Was
KauikeaouliR" ..
Alleyway Is CLOSED
The alley leading from King Street
o the post Office was closed and bar,
rier erected between the Eva confines
Of the property and the post.ofice pre-
misses. Near by was displayed sign,
scriwled in ink, which read as follows:
"No Passage Through-Danger' and
yet another sign, Keep Outside. :" On
the door was still pasted a notice read
ing: Crank Godfrey, Office hours II
q. m. to 4 p. M" 'E4 ...,. Ig,....l-
Facing Merchant Street was a third
4ign, reading, "Do Not Stay in Front
of This Building" and fourth legend
| informed passers-by to the following eff
feet: "Rare 4 Cheap. Bound Files Of
the Hawaiian Gazette, 1879, 1882 3
4.5, la90.l-2-3. Can't Get EN- Al
ways" .... .-..l .
And on the steps of the building sa'
an old man, with green shade
ever his eyes, dreaming of the glorie'
IF the past, and humming something
which sounded very much like this;
where do we go from here, boys
Where do we go from heref
"Waikiki luxury, and KakaakO 7
drear.
"l hate to leave my happy home, 70
| offce.rent is dear
"Auwe! Oh, say! Where do we g
from here!"