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The house served as the Governor's Mansion from 1922-2002.
Washington Place
The stately Greek-revival home on Beretania Street was built in 1847 by Captain John Dominis, who disappeared on a voyage to China to buy furnishings for it. His son, John Owen Dominis, brought his bride Lili'uokalani to the house in 1862. John Owen became Governor of Oahu in 1865, and in 1891, shortly before his death, Lili'uokalani succeeded
King Kalakaua to the throne. She occupied the house until her death
in 1917, when one of her heirs suggested that the Territorial Government acquire it. In 1921-22 the termite-ridden building was rebuilt, serving with alterations and additions as the home of Hawaii's governors until 2002.
- In 2000 Mason Architects completed a Historic Structures Report to document structural changes to the building over time and assess its current condition.
- MAI also designed a Master Plan to guide the restoration of the first floor and transform the second floor into a museum/gallery.
- In the Queen's bedroom, termite damage was repaired, wall and ceiling papers recreated, a boarded-up door reopened, and antique light fixtures installed.
- Mason Architects is now preparing an Architectural Conservation Plan to
- (1) gather historic documents, photos, and architectural drawings to form the basis of an on-site archive;
- (2) conduct, with architectural conservator Ken Hayes, an in-depth analysis of the building's layout, structure, materials, paint history, mortar composition, and lighting;
- (3) Address code and accessibility issues and recommend ways to preserve one of the most historically significant structures in Hawaii.
Photos: David Franzen; Hawaii State Archives
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Using historic photographs as guides, the Queen's bedroom has been restored to how it looked when Lili'uokalani occupied it.
The enclosed lanai was added in 1922, when the Territorial Government acquired the property.
Queen Lili'uokalani in the garden of Washington Place.
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