Protecting Sense of Place: Historic Preservation in ‘ Ewa Villages

1. Horng-Wei Chen November, 2011 Protecting Sense of Place:Historic Preservation in ‘Ewa Villages

2. Outline • Then and Now of Historic Preservation • Building a Place-Based Preservation Vision • The Place That Was ‘EwaVillages • Preserving ‘Ewa Villages

3. Research Questions • 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?

4. Then and Now of Historic Preservation

5. Early Preservation Projectsin the US and Hawai‘i • 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 Queen Emma Summer Palace, HI Independence Hall, PA 1900 1853 1920s 1813 1915 ColonialWilliamsburg, VA Mount Vernon, VA

6. Broadening of Preservation Focuses • 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 Charleston Historic District, SC Paul Revere House, MA National Park Service 1900 1876 1906 1920s 1935 1905 1916 1931 ColonialWilliamsburg, VA Historic Sites Act Antiquities Act Philadelphia Centennial Exposition

7. Postwar and Current Situations of Historic Preservation • 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

8. Challenges of Historic Preservation • Lack of community involvement • Architectural standards and historic significance vs. neighborhood ambiance and olden day’s anecdotes • Indifference and lack of political will • Indifference regarding local history and disinterest in preservation • Rigid/irrelevant preservation regulations

9. Building a Place-Based Preservation Vision

10. Experiencing Place: Phenomenological Approach • 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)

11. Experiencing Place: Phenomenological Approach • 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

12. Critiquing Place Singularity: Constructionist Approach • 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”

13. Critiquing Place Singularity: Constructionist Approach • 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

14. Place as Lived Space

15. The Place That Was ‘Ewa Villages

16. Location and Extent of EPC Land

17. Renton Village Tenney Village Varona Village

18. Villages Houses • Houses in the historic villages are single-walled, 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

21. Important Buildings • Plantation Management Office (1935) • Designed by architect Hart Wood • Featuring Hawaiian style roof • ‘Ewa Shopping Basket (1935) • Designed by architect William Furer • Now the Friendship Youth Center • Plantation Manager’s House (1925) • A two-story, Colonial Revival house • Currently unoccupied and in a state of disrepair • Mill Buildings (1890s – 1950s) • The mill was demolished in 1985

26. The Conceived ‘Ewa Villages • Development of ‘Ewa Villages: Planter’s Perspective • Ethnic and Labor Relation: Worker’s Perspective • Life Stories around the Villages: Resident’s Perspective

27. Development of ‘Ewa Villages: Planter’s Perspective • 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.

28. Barracks at ‘Ewa Plantation

30. Development of ‘Ewa Villages: Planter’s Perspective • 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.

31. Development of ‘Ewa Villages: Planter’s Perspective • 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.

32. Ethnic and Labor Relation: Worker’s Perspective • 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”

33. Ethnic and Labor Relation: Worker’s Perspective • Surplus labors were imported as strikebreakers. • After the 1909 Japanese strike, Filipino workers were imported to dilute the dominance of Japanese workers. • 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

34. Ethnic and Labor Relation: Worker’s Perspective • 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.

36. Life Stories around the Villages: Resident’s Perspective • 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.

37. Life Stories around the Villages: Resident’s Perspective • ‘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

38. Train Ride to DPD, 1925

39. Community-based Preservation Efforts • 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

40. Preservation by Friends For ‘Ewa • Subsequent FFE efforts include: • A survey gathering community concerns • ‘Ewa Improvement Project: tree-planting, removing 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

41. Government-led Revitalization Project • 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

42. ‘Ewa Villages Revitalization Project

43. Rehabilitation Works in Revitalization Project • 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

45. TOR & Design Issues • 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

46. Some Project Outcomes • 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 • 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

47. Preserving ‘Ewa Villages

48. Current Situation • ‘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.

50. Place-based Preservation Vision