The Kahalewai Building
Building 14Built by Dr. A.H. Waterhouse and Mr. Ornellas in 1927, this building was originally used as the Kōloa Post Office, a tailor shop and Ornellas general store. Before the war it was also the site of a watch repair shop run by Mr. Iwai, a beauty shop run by Ms. Tanaka, the Manila Tailor Shop and Dulce’s Dress Shop. During World War II most of the building was used as an Army bakery, though the post office remained.
Built by Dr. A.H. Waterhouse and Mr. Ornellas in 1927, this building was originally used as the Kōloa Post Office, a tailor shop and Ornellas general store. Before the war it was also the site of a watch repair shop run by Mr. Iwai, a beauty shop run by Ms. Tanaka, the Manila Tailor Shop and Dulce’s Dress Shop. During World War II most of the building was used as an Army bakery, though the post office remained.
The Ornellas family general store was later bought and run by Johnny Awa, who took over the entire building. The people of Kōloa remember him as a storekeeper with everything imaginable in his shop, which was such a jumble of goods that only Awa could find anything.
When the structure was eventually rebuilt, the original storefront design was preserved, including a shed roof, false front, and four bays articulated by Tuscan pilasters. A corrugated metal canopy spans the building in typical plantation-era style.
