Shifting our early morning walk from the beach to the streets of Kahala led to a little discovery right around the corner.
We were near the end of our morning walk, heading home along the short block of Aukai Avenue between Pueo Street and Kealaolu, when we noticed a small, rather nondescript sign in front of a house.
I’ve seen the sign before but never paid any attention. This time we went over to get a closer look, and found that it announced “viewing hours” on the second Saturday of each month.
Peering down the driveway, there wasn’t much of anything to see, as the house was mostly hidden behind a concrete block wall.
Then I noticed a small plaque on a wall on the other side of the driveway. The house, it seems, is considered a “Historic Residence,” not because of who lived there, but because it was designed by renowned Hawaii architect Vladimir Ossipoff.
I guess we’ll have to check it out on the second Saturday, May 9, during the posted viewing hours.
In the meantime, I went looking for information on Gardner and Esther Black, and the history of the house.
Dr. Black’s obituary which appeared in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on January 4, 1963 provides some background.
Black graduated from the University of Chicago medical school, then was an intern at Queen’s Hospital in 1921-22. In 1921, he married Esther King of Lake Forest, Illinois.
Black served as president of the Honolulu County Medical Society between 1939-40. In 1949, he moved to the Big Island, where he served as the Parker Ranch physician until 1955. He died at age 66.
After Dr. and Mrs. Black moved to Kamueala, the Ossipoff-designed property became the home of Kenneth J. Pratt and his wife, Mildred Wriston Pratt. Kenneth Pratt was a long-time Bank of Hawaii vice-president, and brother of former Hawaiian Electric president C. Dudley Pratt.
Pratt was, according to an obituary: ““Canoe steersman, surfer, Bank of Hawaii vice-president and oral historian.” Among his legacies are a wonderful series of oral history interviews with prominent Hawaii watermen done on behalf of the Outrigger Canoe Club’s Oral History Committee. Many of these interviews can be easily found online.
After Mildred Pratt’s death in 2007, the house was listed for sale at $2.3 million, later reduced to $2.2 million.
11,800 sq ft lot in “old Kahala” with huge back yard and pool towards the front. Refurbished 3 bdrm, 2 bath plus 1 bdrm, 1 bath cottage. See this beauty today!
Real estate records show it was purchased by its current owners for $1.5 million in 2009.
In 2014, the “Dr. Gardner and Esther Black Residence” was listed on the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.
It is currently listed “For Rent” on Apartments.com for $6,500 per month with a minimum 6-month lease.
As a historic property, the current owners pay just $300 annually in real property tax.
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None of the hallmarks of an Osipoff house. Is there any verification?
On the Hawaii Register, it cites a report by Don Hibbard. I have not seen the application itself. The viewing spot is down the driveway, so i expect there is an open lanai back there.
Some years ago one of the daily papers reported at a City Council committee hearing regarding huge tax breaks for “historic” homes that got the breaks because of significant historical architecture. The only requirement was that interested people could “view” and appreciate the various designs. Many people voiced their displeasure at the tax breaks and challenges presented when they tried to view the homes. Some homes were at the end of private driveways, others behind tall hedges. One that stuck out to me was some owner along Tantalus retorted/testified that his property was easily viewed from Diamond. Head. Arrogance personified.
@Michael Tucker: I believe shortly after the Star-Advertiser report was when our current esteemed “mayor” decided he would pay full property taxes on his home in Manoa?
I liked the similar plaques that appeared around town 12 or 13 years ago saying “The State of Hawaii Department of Beautification Recognize the Historical Significance of This Location”. Somebody’s art project, if I remember correctly.
Thank you Ian for your piece on the Kahala Ossipoff home. I enjoyed the back story of prior owners and their contributions to the growth of our Honolulu. The beauty of the historic designation for these older homes is that the tax benefit, for the most part, really does help homeowners maintain their properties. What was $100 a year is now $300 and that might go up now. When you consider the percentage of historic homes that enjoy this incentive and compare it to other exempt properties, it is really a very small percentage. It is truly the only incentive in our State to encourage homeowners to maintain their homes rather than to demolish them. And once they are gone, they can never be rebuilt to the standards of the earlier periods. I realize this doesn’t sit well with some people but there are a large number of people who enjoy the value of older homes and gardens in our neighborhoods. Don Hibbard does very thorough research when he prepares the nomination papers. If he certified it to be an Ossipoff home I am comfortable with his decision.The State Office for Historic Preservation (SHPD) at the DLNR has the complete multi-page nomination papers if you or the other commenter here wants to research further. Additionally Historic Hawaii Foundation had abbreviated versions of the nomination papers for every listed home on their website. The concrete wall in front of this Kahala home is unfortunate.
Dear Ian, I know that driveway, if not the wall (we had a mock orange hedge.). My family lived there from 1952 to 2007. I didn’t know it was special although it does have three brick walls that form U-shaped spine surrounding open and covered lanais off of which the rest of the house seems to hang.
As to the seemingly nutty obit I wrote about my Dad, Kenneth J. Pratt, I began describing him as a “canoe steersman” because he approached everything from the point of view of “ how can I make this fun (interesting.). Most of his bank clients were malahini admirals and generals representing the military accounts so my Dad shared the thrill of surfing with them.
He recorded 300 oral histories for the Outrigger Canoe Club, Bank of Hawaii, Punahou School and Central Union Church.
Stories about paddling mauka on Manoa stream from the place where it met Waikiki Beach so they could pluck ducks from the wetlands that would later be dredged for the Ala Wai canal is an example of the many stories he shared about the early 20th century.
Stories told by aunty Laura and Uncle Frank about proving their taro was wet and therefor the awai to their maka ala mihi must not be cut off.
It’s the voices. I know that Duke Kahanamoku didn’t sound like the guy portraying him in a movie because I have his voice on a tape from an oral history recorded by my Dad.
These talk stories in soft holoholo cadence give voice to the early 20th century with grace, dignity, a few auwes and a lot of aloha.
Thanks, Ian, I sort of got off subject; please feel free to cut this off anyplace,
Aloha, Ruth Pratt
Love this Aunty Ruth!!! We unfortnautely have to demolish my tutu (Betty Bowers) historic residence tomrrow 9/6/2021 and I’m searching up family history to help myself cope with the process. My dad is really having a hard time saying bye to his childhood home up here at Maka’alamihi in Kane’ohe. Mahalo nui loa for your shared post. I very much enjoy learning more about our family history and gaining knowledge about our ohana and aina. Your generation and those before you really set an amazing tone for the generations to come. love you! Mahalo! Love, Lei Evensen