Horng-Wei Chen
November, 2011
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Then and Now of Historic Preservation
Building a Place-Based Preservation Vision
The Place That Was ‘Ewa Villages
Preserving ‘Ewa Villages
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What makes a property or a site significant
and thus worthy of preservation? Who
decides this? And for whom should such a
property or site be preserved?
What made ‘Ewa Villages worth saving? How
was preservation done in ‘Ewa Villages?
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Emphasis on associative history relating to
national identity formation
Private sponsorship, such as Mount Vernon
Lady’s Association, Daughters of Hawai‘i, and
John D. Rockefeller
Independence Hall, PA
1853
1813
1900
Queen Emma
Summer Palace, HI
1920s
1915
Mount Vernon, VA
Colonial
Williamsburg, VA
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1876
Architectural aesthetics becoming a criteria
in historic preservation near 20th century
Federal government started entering into the
field of preservation
From single historic buildings to entire
historic district, using zoning regulations
1900
Charleston Historic
Paul Revere House, MA National Park Service District, SC
1906
1905
Philadelphia
Centennial Exposition
Antiquities Act
1920s
1916
Colonial
Williamsburg, VA
1935
1931
Historic Sites Act
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Responding to government mega-projects,
such as urban renewal and interstate highway
National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1949
National Historic Preservation Act, 1966
 Section 106 Review
 Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
 National Register of Historic Places
 State Historic Preservation Offices
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Lack of community involvement
 Architectural standards and historic significance
vs. neighborhood ambiance and olden day’s
anecdotes
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Indifference and lack of political will
 Indifference regarding local history and
disinterest in preservation
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Rigid/irrelevant preservation regulations
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Notable scholars: Edward Relph and Yi-Fu
Tuan
Key to the approach: finding the essence
behind the human phenomenon, place
“The essence of place lies in the largely
unselfconscious intentionality that defines
places as profound centers of human
existence.” (Relph, 1976, p. 43)
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The increased placelessness, which is a
weakening of place identities, causes people
to have a hard time developing authentic
connections with places; therefore…
 Counter homogenizing forces that cause the
destruction of unique local landscapes
 Cultivate people’s identification with and care for
places, developing an authentic sense of place
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Notable scholars: David Harvey and Doreen
Massey
Key to the approach: identifying the
interacting social processes, such as capital,
race, class, and gender, behind the social
construct, place
The meaning/definition of a place depends on
one’s position of observation; places are thus
“contested terrain of competing definitions”
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The powerful and resourceful few impose
their interpretations and imaginations upon
places while the rest has little or no control
over their places; therefore…
 Empower communities to tell their own stories of
their places so different voices can be heard
 Align place-construction visions and strategies
with community concerns
Renton Village
Tenney Village
Varona Village
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Houses in the historic villages are singlewalled, wood-framed construction
Foundation posts on concrete blocks raising
floor above ground in case of flood
Entry stoop or lanai, sliding or hung windows,
and simple gable or hip roof
Exterior color restricted to white, off white,
rust, red slate, gray, and green
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Plantation Management Office (1935)
 Designed by architect Hart Wood
 Featuring Hawaiian style roof
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‘Ewa Shopping Basket (1935)
 Designed by architect William Furer
 Now the Friendship Youth Center
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Plantation Manager’s House (1925)
 A two-story, Colonial Revival house
 Currently unoccupied and in a state of disrepair
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Mill Buildings (1890s – 1950s)
 The mill was demolished in 1985
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Development of ‘Ewa Villages: Planter’s
Perspective
Ethnic and Labor Relation: Worker’s
Perspective
Life Stories around the Villages: Resident’s
Perspective
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Campbell’s artesian wells and Dillingham’s
rail line made sugar planting possible in ‘Ewa
‘Ewa Plantation Company (EPC) was founded
in 1890, and W.J. Lowrie was the first
plantation manager.
Lowrie led the company through the very
difficult beginning, marked by mechanical
problems affecting sugar yield and fluctuated
sugar prices due to the overthrow of the
Kingdom.
George Renton, Sr. became manager in 1899.
In 1902, Renton installed a new mill, and the
same year EPC was proclaimed the most
productive sugar plantation in the world.
 He also advocated importing married workers
instead of single men, so the workforce would
be more stable.
 In 1906, EPC was one of the first plantations to
build houses on separate lots for workers with
family.
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George Renton, Jr. succeeded as the third
plantation manager in 1921.
He continued his father’s legacy and improved
the living condition in ‘Ewa Villages, by building
public facilities such as a new administration
building, a new store, a new hospital, and a sport
and recreation facility, Tenney Center.
By the end of 1929, the plantation was recorded
to have a residential population of nearly 5,000.
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The divide-and-rule policy of worker segregation
by nationality to prevent large union strike.
 The eight villages were ethnically-homogeneous
camps. Ex. Fernandez Village and Varona Village were
Filipino camps; Tenney Village was “Japanese Camp”;
Renton Village was nicknamed “Haole Camp”.
 George Renton, Sr. stated, “If immigrants of various
nationalities would come in until there are sufficient
of them in the country to offset any one nationality,
we would be better off”
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Surplus labors were imported as strikebreakers.
 After the 1909 Japanese strike, Filipino workers were
imported to dilute the dominance of Japanese
workers.
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Dependence on the plantation system was used
to control workers.
 Perquisites that could only be spent in the plantation
store as part of the paycheck
 Plantation operated housing, hospital, and school
 During the 1920 strike, most of the Japanese workers
in ‘Ewa Plantation were evicted
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The labor movements played a critical role in
the improvement of living condition of
plantation workers.
 The hosing and public facility improvement by
Renton, Jr. was a response to the 1920 strike.
 After the 1946 sugar strike, worker housing was
no longer a perquisite, but it became rental.
 Homeownership became achievable since then,
as plantation management agreed to a pay raise
for the first time.
Memories and stories of residents who grew up
in ‘Ewa Villages but not necessarily worked in
the plantation, a view of worker descendants
 Since people who share this perspective spent
their childhood in the Villages, they tend to have
the strongest emotional attachment to the place
and thus are the most enthusiastic in
preservation efforts.
 Seemingly trivial in its historic value, it relates
well to former and current residents. Most of
the submissions to FFE newsletter are of this
perspective.
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‘Ewa hospital, doctors, and nurses
‘Ewa School and the many events, such as
May Day picnic at DPD (Paradise Cove)
Harvest time in summer with bustling
machinery all day
‘Ewa Carnival with variety of ethnic food and
fun activities
Annual lei-draping of the Lincoln statue in
‘Ewa School
Sporting events and religious gatherings
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Friends For ‘Ewa (FFE) was founded in late
1980s by a few preservationists
Its first community meeting in April 1989
successfully jumpstarted the preservation
works among ‘Ewa residents.
 Petition letters stopped the City’s road-widening
plan
 The first Clean-up Day event brought the
community together and demonstrated care for
the Villages
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Subsequent FFE efforts include:
 A survey gathering community concerns
 ‘Ewa Improvement Project: tree-planting, removing
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abandoned vehicles, and another clean-up day
Monthly newsletter communicating FFE activities and
sharing memories/stories/histories of old ‘Ewa
Neighborhood Watch program, responding to
concerns over gang activities
Garnering supports from influential figures
Providing guided tours for interested people
Hosting the EPC centennial celebration, August 1990
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To avoid the complete displacement of
residents in ‘Ewa Villages, the City and
County condemned about 600 acres of the
‘Ewa land from Campbell Estate in 1993
The ‘Ewa Villages Revitalization Project was
initially proposed as an affordable housing
project, and preservation principles were
added as a result of advocacy and community
activism by FFE
Administered by ‘Ewa Villages Nonprofit
Development Corporation
 Batch rotation rehabilitation schedule
 New wiring and plumbing, reroofing with
historic materials
 Boards, windows, and doors were repaired when
necessary
 Exterior paints using historic color scheme
 Central culvert on streets to maintain narrower
street width and avoid modern design features
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Existing residents, or tenants of record (TOR),
were given loan subsidy and purchase priority
for the rehabilitated and the new in-fill houses.
Unwilling to grant Special Design District status
to ‘Ewa Villages, the City opted to control
physical design in the Villages with a Conditions,
Covenants and Restrictions (CC&Rs) scheme
‘Ewa Villages Homeowners’ Association
administers the design guideline review process,
which is overseen by the State Historic
Preservation Division when exterior changes are
proposed in the historic core area
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Plantation town historic
characters maintained
By 1999, 31% of TOR
obtained
homeownership within
‘Ewa Villages, while half
of the residents
remained as renters.
Golf Course removed
Villages from flood zone
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By 1999, 199 houses and
lots remained unsold due
to housing market
plummet
Financial deficit resulted
in issuance of more
($43.5 million) municipal
bonds in 1998
Housing official fraud,
convicted of stealing
$5.8 million
City government sued
for construction and
rehabilitation defects
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‘Ewa Villages is on the State Register of Historic
Places, and has National Register eligibility
Recognized as historic and cultural resources in
current revision of ‘Ewa Development Plan
‘Ewa Villages Master Plan for the Revitalization
Project will soon be updated
Department of Housing and Community
Development (DHCD) dissolved in 1998, and project
responsibilities distributed to 11 City departments
Old mill site cleared in 2002, and construction of new
gym and other community park facilities is ongoing.
Preserving
Perceived
Space
Protecting
Sense of Place
at ‘Ewa Villages
Sustaining
Lived
Space
Enhancing
Conceived
Space
Design Center
• Non-profit
organization;
partnership with the
City in start-up
• Maintaining houses
and landscape within
‘Ewa Villages
• Supervising
rehabilitation work
when Revitalization
Project resumes
Preservation
Shop
Community
Activities
• Collecting historic
documents and old
photos for local
culture/history
research
• Conducting
educational events
such as workshop and
guided tours
• Operating gift shop
selling related items
• Hosting annual
preservation weekend
• Continuing clean-up
days and
neighborhood watch
program
• Reinstating
community activities
such as ‘Ewa Carnival