We are proud that the place we call home is now individually listed on the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.

We presented the Stangenwald Building’s nomination to the Historic Places Review Board on March 29, 2019, and we are pleased to see it approved for listing!

Designed by Charles W. Dickey and Clinton B. Ripley, the six-story Stangenwald Building was considered Hawaii’s first skyscraper when it was built in 1901. It remained the Territory’s tallest office building until the 1950s. The Stangenwald was built of steel, concrete, and masonry, and was considered downtown Honolulu’s first “fireproof” building. This designation was timely in the wake of the devastating Chinatown fires of 1886 and 1900 (which both came within two blocks of the site).

The primary Merchant Street façade of the Stangenwald Building is an eclectic interpretation of the Renaissance Revival style with Italianate detailing. Broken up into five vertical bays, the façade materials include brick, stone, concrete, terra cotta, wrought iron, wood, and glass. The building has been included in the Merchant Street Historic District (Multiple Property District) since 1973.

MASON is honored to be headquartered within such an important piece of Honolulu’s history.