April 30, 2024 - Waipahu

Aloha, Friend!

Welcome back! We are traveling to Waipahu and are thrilled to have you join us.

Here are this week’s highlights:

• Design in the Islands: History of Waipahu

• Vibrant Lifestyle: Experience the Ultimate Outdoor Haven

• Oahu Neighborhoods: Explore a Living Village Experience

• Real Estate in Honolulu: What’s happening in Waipahu?

Design in the Islands: History of Waipahu

Waipahu is a town that originated as a sugarcane plantation in the late 19th century. The Oahu Sugar Company was incorporated in 1897 and established its sugar mill in Waipahu, attracting plantation workers from various backgrounds, including Hawaiian, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino.

During the plantation era, Waipahu's sugar mill and plantation were the center of the town's economic activities. The plantation workers lived in villages near the mill specific to their ethnicity. Today, the Waipahu Cultural Garden, which spans 50 acres and is now known as Hawaii's Plantation Village, serves as an outdoor museum that showcases and preserves the history and culture of Hawaii's plantation era. Visitors can experience and learn about life in a 19th to 20th-century plantation town by exploring the recreated village.

The sugar industry declined in the late 20th century, causing Waipahu to shift from a plantation town to a more residential and commercial area. Despite this change, the city has invested in revitalization efforts, including transit-oriented development plans centered around the Waipahu Transit Center and the Honolulu Area Rapid Transit (H.A.R.T.)

Waipahu is a diverse community with a preserved plantation-era history and culture within the Honolulu metropolitan area.

Vibrant Lifestyles: Experience the Ultimate Outdoor Haven: Bill Balfour, Jr. Waipahu District Park Welcomes All

Bill Balfour Jr. was a remarkable community leader and public servant dedicated to positively impacting Waipahu and the broader Honolulu area. He spent over 40 years in the sugar industry, first as plantation manager for the Oahu Sugar Plantation and later as senior vice president for Amfac Sugar. After retiring from the sugar industry, he transitioned to public service and became an instrumental figure in the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation.

Balfour was a hands-on manager known for his "can-do attitude" and unwavering commitment to his community. He oversaw parks, facilities, and outdoor spaces, ensuring they were well-maintained and accessible. His dedication to public service was so impressive that the Waipahu District Park was renamed the "Bill Balfour Jr. Waipahu District Park" in 2009.

Balfour's contributions to the community were immeasurable, and his legacy lives on even after passing in 2019. The Honolulu City Council recognized his incredible impact on the community by passing Resolution 19-287. The resolution acknowledged Balfour's "decades of dedicated service and contributions to the Waipahu community" and his positive impact as a "remarkable man who devoted his life to the people of Hawaii.

Bill Balfour Jr. was a true inspiration and a testament to the power of public service. His remarkable career in the sugar industry and public service has left an indelible mark on Waipahu and the broader Honolulu area. His dedication to improving his community will continue to inspire future generations.

Oahu Neighborhoods: Explore a Living Village Experience

Hawaii's Plantation Village is an open-air museum located in Waipahu, Oahu. It portrays the life of the sugar plantations in Hawaii from the 1850s to the 1930s. The village comprises 30 restored houses initially occupied by different ethnic groups who worked on the plantations, such as Hawaiians, Chinese, Portuguese, Puerto Ricans, Japanese, Filipinos, Koreans, and Okinawans.

Waipahu Cultural Park is a village that the "Friends of Waipahu Cultural Park" built in 1990 to preserve and share the experiences, lifestyles, and contributions of Hawaii's plantation workers. Visitors can take guided tours of the homes and other plantation buildings, including a store, garage, and community buildings, to learn about the living conditions, traditions, and daily lives of the plantation workers. The tour guides accompanying visitors to the plantation often have personal connections, enhancing the experience's authenticity.

The plantation's gift shop offers unique, locally made crafts, music, and other items that reflect the local culture. You can purchase these items as souvenirs.

The first commercial sugar plantation was established in 1835 by Ladd & Co. on the island of Kauai. The demand for sugar increased in the 1840s as steamships provided reliable transportation to the mainland United States. The Great Mahele Land Distribution Act in 1848 allowed foreigners to own land in Hawaii, further fueling the growth of the sugar industry.

To meet the labor demands of the growing sugar plantations, plantation owners began importing workers from China, Japan, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Korea, the Philippines, and other countries starting in the 1850s. This influx of immigrant workers led to the development of Hawaiian Pidgin, a Creole language that allowed communication between diverse ethnic groups.

Sugar became Hawaii's dominant crop and industry throughout the 20th century, employing one in twelve people in the state at its peak. However, the sugar industry in Hawaii began declining in the 1990s as it became less expensive to grow sugar elsewhere. The last sugar mill in Hawaii closed in 2016, ending over 180 years of sugar production in the islands.

Real Estate in Honolulu: What’s Happening in Waipahu?

As of April 2024, nine fee simple single-family residences are up for sale in Waipahu Estates, Waipahu Gardens, Waipahu Triangle, and Lower Waipahu. These desirable properties offer 3 to 11 bedrooms and 2 to 7 bathrooms and range in price between $865,000 and $1,730,000. It is worth noting that multi-generational homes are quite common in Waipahu. Email me for more information on the opportunities available in Waipahu!