The Robin Masters Estate (Pahonu)

[golfmobile]

Oh, to have $3 million! Two to buy and one to renovate. Bet one could get his money back if it were restored. I just want to fix it up and live there a few years or twenty or so . . . . Right, and I want to wake up tomorrow and have my body be 40 years younger. I have about an equal chance of either.

[KENJI]

I'm sure a few of our members haven't seen this old Pahonu footage from the original HFO - Woe to Wo Fat airing April/1980......I'll also post it in the HFO thread too - enjoy! Try not to laugh at Steve's undercover work......reminds me a bit of Higgin's disguises.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFzl_VkcJjQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW-ITKrpyrk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzNP6h4CDx4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE0iXHSB--M

[golfmobile]

What I find most interesting about these clips is seeing the original condition of the house (not the MPI interior layout created to be the interior of Robin's Nest) and thinking how terribly sad it is that such a wonderful house has been allowed to deteriorate as we assume it has done, as based on the information released during the sale of the property. It was a wonderful house, and it breaks my heart to know it probably will not be restored to this old original interior architecture and decor. So sad.

golf

[ConchRepublican]

I found another map of Pahonu! This one is from 1928 (and cropped...the original extends east and west along the coastline) which is a bit older and definitely more detailed than the last one I found which was dated 1930. Down below I've positioned it over present-day google maps (well, my son actually did it for me )


Notes of interest:

- Kalanianaole Highway at this time is just the "proposed" location, not yet constructed

- the "Present Road" that is on the property

- a pier drawn just off the main house location?!

- the not-yet constructed storm drain easement looks to have been a natural drainage/waterway

- multiple existing structures on the property

I'm sure you guys will spot even more things I didn't catch!

1928



1928 over present day

So, was Pahonu originally called Pahanua? Which I presume would sound like "Pah Hah Newa"?

[KENJI]

I found another map of Pahonu! This one is from 1928 (and cropped...the original extends east and west along the coastline) which is a bit older and definitely more detailed than the last one I found which was dated 1930. Down below I've positioned it over present-day google maps (well, my son actually did it for me )


Notes of interest:

- Kalanianaole Highway at this time is just the "proposed" location, not yet constructed

- the "Present Road" that is on the property

- a pier drawn just off the main house location?!

- the not-yet constructed storm drain easement looks to have been a natural drainage/waterway

- multiple existing structures on the property

I'm sure you guys will spot even more things I didn't catch!

1928



1928 over present day

So, was Pahonu originally called Pahanua? Which I presume would sound like "Pah Hah Newa"?

Hey Conch,

I vaguely remember a few years back discussing Pahanua and I think we were leaning towards Pahanua being the name of a person (maybe even an organization) who owned that particular parcel. I do remember us finding a Royal Patent with the patentee being Pahanua (no last name, inc., ltd., mentioned).
I think this was the one..... https://www.waihona.com/previewDoc.asp? ... ocId=64386 . I also remember us finding a Hawaiian document or two with Pahanua in it, but the whole thing was in Hawaiian and too hard to figure out.
Maybe you can ask a Hawaiian at your hotel what the translation is for Pahanua that might help us.

[KENJI]

What I find most interesting about these clips is seeing the original condition of the house (not the MPI interior layout created to be the interior of Robin's Nest) and thinking how terribly sad it is that such a wonderful house has been allowed to deteriorate as we assume it has done, as based on the information released during the sale of the property. It was a wonderful house, and it breaks my heart to know it probably will not be restored to this old original interior architecture and decor. So sad.

golf

Hi Golf,
I feel your pain, but I still think it is in good hands (fingers crossed) going forward.....could be worse....bulldozers flattening it and subdividing the land into smaller parcels. The walls of the place are really thick so the bones are still there if they want to keep the original envelope.....the interior sounds like a gut though. Time will tell....at least the old girl is still standing.
How's Larry doing?

[golfmobile]

Kenji,

SO true! At least it is in one "piece" and no signs of bulldozing the structure. I'm sure all of us will just hold on to hope, awaiting further developments. And further hope that pictures of the "restoration" will be posted. I hope the general public doesn't get completely shut out whenever it gets to "final" condition.

Keep all your fingers crossed, folks! But we may have a long wait.

golf

[Pahonu]

What I find most interesting about these clips is seeing the original condition of the house (not the MPI interior layout created to be the interior of Robin's Nest) and thinking how terribly sad it is that such a wonderful house has been allowed to deteriorate as we assume it has done, as based on the information released during the sale of the property. It was a wonderful house, and it breaks my heart to know it probably will not be restored to this old original interior architecture and decor. So sad.

golf

I would just add, maybe to ease your pain , that some of the interior décor shown in the Hawaii Five-O clips is probably not original to the house anyway. That would have been 35 to 45 years after completion of the home, Magnum even longer, so many elements would have been changed, Things such as draperies, wall colors and furniture would most certainly be different. Floor and decorative tile, of course, is much more enduring as are the wood beam ceilings and rough stucco finish, but even those can be painted new colors. I've long speculated that the black barrel tile roof that has been replaced with green recently may not have been original. The color is highly unusual as almost all Spanish Colonial Revival architecture used the classic terra cotta color. Having seen pictures on this thread of the kitchen and living room, I would say some of the details look very unlike 1930's style. I have several specific examples if your interested, but I'll stop there for now.

[Rembrandt's Girl]

Today I found the approved Land Application Map for Pahonu in the name of Julia Grossman Wall, Eve's grandmother, which was approved on July 25, 1932! Interesting that it's in Julia's name and not one of her husbands', but perhaps she was willed the land from her first husband, Moses Grossman. Another possibility...Julia's father was a prominent and wealthy businessman in the railroad supplies industry in Chicago, so she could have been financially well-off because of this.

The Nohokula Grant parcel (where the boathouse is located) and the R.P. (Royal Patent) Pahanua parcel (approximately where the main house is located) appear to have both been land grants to individuals, "Nohokula" and "Pahanua". (https://www.waihona.com/previewDoc.asp? ... ocId=64386). I found a date for Pahanua's grant, which was September 1851.

To view this map clearly to see more great information, you can download the pdf by going to http://ags.hawaii.gov/survey/map-search/, then in the top box "Land Court Application No." type in 997.

A couple years ago I touched on the land grant to Pahanua above...I called it a "land grant" then, but more accurately they were called Mahele awards (I was reading up on the old land divisions a few weeks ago.) Back in the 1800's in Hawaii there was the "Great Mahele", when King Kamehameha III and his chiefs created a Land Commission and divided up the lands for the Hawaiian people to guarantee that they wouldn't lose their land, and they established a numerical system for it. Here is the Mahele Database http://papakilodatabase.com/main/source ... 2|r:1|o:10 which gave legal title to the aina/land. If you look at the map above, Pahanua's L.C.A. (Land Commission Award/Mahele) is 234-I. http://papakilodatabase.com/main/docume ... p?id=31079

Below is the document in the Mahele database for Pahanua's land. I can't read the darn thing, but I can make out Pahanua and Helu (which means "number") 234-I at the top. Not a great sketch, but I think on the bottom right is the parcel with the number 2 on it, adjacent to the ocean. The arrow is due north.







This describes Mahele, Royal Patents, Land Commission Awards, etc in more detail if interested: https://www.waihona.com/default-ssl.asp?

I still don’t know who Pahanua was though.

[KENJI]

What I find most interesting about these clips is seeing the original condition of the house (not the MPI interior layout created to be the interior of Robin's Nest) and thinking how terribly sad it is that such a wonderful house has been allowed to deteriorate as we assume it has done, as based on the information released during the sale of the property. It was a wonderful house, and it breaks my heart to know it probably will not be restored to this old original interior architecture and decor. So sad.

golf

I would just add, maybe to ease your pain , that some of the interior décor shown in the Hawaii Five-O clips is probably not original to the house anyway. That would have been 35 to 45 years after completion of the home, Magnum even longer, so many elements would have been changed, Things such as draperies, wall colors and furniture would most certainly be different. Floor and decorative tile, of course, is much more enduring as are the wood beam ceilings and rough stucco finish, but even those can be painted new colors. I've long speculated that the black barrel tile roof that has been replaced with green recently may not have been original. The color is highly unusual as almost all Spanish Colonial Revival architecture used the classic terra cotta color. Having seen pictures on this thread of the kitchen and living room, I would say some of the details look very unlike 1930's style. I have several specific examples if your interested, but I'll stop there for now.

Fire away Pahonu....love to hear about your examples. It was a real shame to see the black barrel tile replaced. I loved how the tiles had a staggered look instead of straight lines.....very effective! The green roof will probably help with the amount of heat that must've been absorbed with the black tiles and more importantly keeping things dry on the inside, but the black ones just had that unique look....oh well, it's done now!

[KENJI]

Here are a few more HFO (Sweet Terror) clips taken at Pahonu.
The grounds were in terrific shape back then with no tennis court!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GONLcOM8uH4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkX83QXcRNU

[Rembrandt's Girl]

I know we've mentioned the other Louis E. Davis house "Lipolani" here, but another has made the Oahu Historic Properties list just this year. It's at 2954 Makalei Place at the base of Diamond Head and was built in 1933 like Pahonu.



The nomination form in this link has extensive information describing the home and the architectural details, as well as some pictures. The person who filled out the nomination form said, "It is the work of a master having been designed by Honolulu architect Louis Davis": http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/shpd/files/2015/ ... idence.pdf

Really great pics at this site: http://www.us.open2view.com/properties/4804

Historic Hawaii Foundation website: http://historichawaii.org/2016/03/23/29 ... residence/

Interesting to note, as detailed on the nomination form, the house was also selected because of the longtime resident Robert Alexander Anderson, who was a World War I hero, businessman, and composer. A fun coincidence for the season, it's said that he composed "Mele Kalikimaka" at the home, and his golf buddy Bing Crosby recorded it the next year: https://youtu.be/ob4LT_gUSFQ

[KENJI]

What a great find RG!
You weren't kidding about the extensive info supplied!!!
I can see hints of Pahonu in the design too.
It's interesting that both homes were designed by Davis AND also had Andersons living in each of them.
Great timing on the Mele Kalikimaka connection which is indeed a fun fact at this time of year.

Another fun fact......

In 1934 (a year after this house was built) the original owner, Dr. Hoey was the Rear Commodore of the Honolulu Yacht Club.
I believe he was a dentist and may have specialised in ortho....not confirmed yet. I wonder if he practised at one time with Dr. Wall in Honolulu and started talking about building a home which led to Davis doing both projects...all guesses. Also it would be interesting to know which house he started to design first, Pahonu or this one.....we know they finished around the same time 1933.

Another interesting bit.....Robert Anderson's father, Robert Anderson was also a dentist!

Here is the 2014 listing info and how much it sold for a few years back.....

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/hi/ ... d_9550989/

Thanks for this great addition RG!

[308GUY]

Great detective work on both parts.

Very nice addition to this thread and some added history for the island, the Anderson's and Davis, as well as architecture of the time.

What a stately facade it presents. Fantastic pictures at the link too. Gorgeous dwelling, inside and out.

Nice job RG & KENJI! Not sure how you'd research it, but the dentist connection sounds more than feasible to me. "Birds of a feather flock together"?

Thanks for sharing.

[Rembrandt's Girl]

When I was researching the house yesterday I found that Dr. Hoey was definitely an orthodontist...and I agree, I thought it interesting that he and Wall were both in the dental field! Maybe Louis Davis had really bad teeth!