Louis Davis (architect)
Encyclopedia
Louis E. Davis was an American
architect
who designed homes and public buildings in Honolulu, Hawaii
. During the 1920s, he was involved in laying out the new King Street campus of President William McKinley High School
and designing its buildings in a Spanish Colonial Revival style. He employed a similar style (Mission Revival) in designing the 1931 Honolulu Police Station on Merchant Street, which harmonized well with that of the new city hall, Honolulu Hale
. Both the old McKinley campus quadrangle and the Merchant Street Historic District
are on the National Register of Historic Places
.
s and casement
s, topped by a tiled, low-pitched hip roof
without eaves.
During the early 1930s, land developer Theo H. Davies & Co.
hired Davis to design new homes in a "Monterey
" (or Spanish eclectic) style to be built on lots being developed in the new subdivision of Kāhala
.
Davis is also credited as the architect of several of Hawaii's classic movie theatres. The Princess Theatre opened in 1922 at 1236 Fort Street. It was remodeled in 1939, renovated in 1958 for Cinerama, closed in 1969, then demolished. The New Pawaa Theatre opened in 1929 at 1550 South King Street. Its exterior and distinctive Spanish-style interior was renovated in 1962, when it was renamed the Cinerama, then closed in 1999 to become an auto-parts store. The New Palama Theatre opened in 1930 at 701 North King Street with 1,100 seats. This ornate Chinese-style building was leased and renamed the Zamboanga Theatre in 1970, but became retail space and is now a church. The rural Waipahu Theatre, with its graceful sloping tile roof, opened in late 1930 on Depot Road, across from the Waipahu Sugar Mill. Sold in 1970, it is now a church. In 1931, Davis designed the Lihue Theatre on the Island of Kauai. It was damaged in two hurricanes in 1982 and 1992 and its auditorium was demolished for senior citizen housing but the facade and lobby were retained and restored.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
who designed homes and public buildings in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. During the 1920s, he was involved in laying out the new King Street campus of President William McKinley High School
President William McKinley High School
President William McKinley High School, more commonly referred to as McKinley High School, is a public, co-educational college preparatory high school of the Hawaii State Department of Education and serves grades nine through twelve...
and designing its buildings in a Spanish Colonial Revival style. He employed a similar style (Mission Revival) in designing the 1931 Honolulu Police Station on Merchant Street, which harmonized well with that of the new city hall, Honolulu Hale
Honolulu Hale
Honolulu Hale , located on 530 South King Street in downtown Honolulu in the City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii, is the official seat of government of the city and county, site of the chambers of the Mayor of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council.In the Hawaiian language, hale means house or building...
. Both the old McKinley campus quadrangle and the Merchant Street Historic District
Merchant Street Historic District
The Merchant Street Historic District in Honolulu, Hawaii, was the city's earliest commercial center.-Location:Bounded roughly by Fort Street at the southeast end and Nuuanu Avenue at the northwest, its older, low-rise, brick and stone buildings, surrounded by contemporary, concrete high rises,...
are on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Architectural styles
Davis was well-known for his work in the Spanish Colonial/Mission Revival style, but he also designed a very significant building that is one of the few enduring examples of rustic Mediterranean Revival architecture in the state: the Territorial Board of Agriculture and Forestry Building (1930) at the corner of Keeaumoku and King Streets in Honolulu. For this building, he employed locally quarried sandstone with distinctive green mortar, along with concrete masonry and finer sandstone for such detailing as window sills, lintels, colonnadeColonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
s and casement
Casement window
A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a...
s, topped by a tiled, low-pitched hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
without eaves.
During the early 1930s, land developer Theo H. Davies & Co.
Theo H. Davies & Co.
Theo H. Davies & Co. is a company that was one of the Big Five trading and agricultural companies in the Territory of Hawaii.-History:Starkey, Janion, & Co. was a trading company founded in Liverpool in April 1845 by Englishmen James and John Starkey and Robert Cheshire Janion. Janion arrived in...
hired Davis to design new homes in a "Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
" (or Spanish eclectic) style to be built on lots being developed in the new subdivision of Kāhala
Kahala
Kāhala, Honolulu, Hawaii is a neighborhood located alongside Kaimuki and Waialae, featuring many beachfront properties. This small neighborhood has some of the most expensive real estate in the city of Honolulu and the state of Hawaii....
.
Davis is also credited as the architect of several of Hawaii's classic movie theatres. The Princess Theatre opened in 1922 at 1236 Fort Street. It was remodeled in 1939, renovated in 1958 for Cinerama, closed in 1969, then demolished. The New Pawaa Theatre opened in 1929 at 1550 South King Street. Its exterior and distinctive Spanish-style interior was renovated in 1962, when it was renamed the Cinerama, then closed in 1999 to become an auto-parts store. The New Palama Theatre opened in 1930 at 701 North King Street with 1,100 seats. This ornate Chinese-style building was leased and renamed the Zamboanga Theatre in 1970, but became retail space and is now a church. The rural Waipahu Theatre, with its graceful sloping tile roof, opened in late 1930 on Depot Road, across from the Waipahu Sugar Mill. Sold in 1970, it is now a church. In 1931, Davis designed the Lihue Theatre on the Island of Kauai. It was damaged in two hurricanes in 1982 and 1992 and its auditorium was demolished for senior citizen housing but the facade and lobby were retained and restored.
Selected works
- Princess Theatre, November 8, 1922 (with C.B. Ripley & Ralph Fishbourne)
- McKinley High SchoolPresident William McKinley High SchoolPresident William McKinley High School, more commonly referred to as McKinley High School, is a public, co-educational college preparatory high school of the Hawaii State Department of Education and serves grades nine through twelve...
, 1924 - New Pawaa Theatre, January 3, 1929
- New Palama Theatre, April 19, 1930
- Waipahu Theatre, December 21, 1930
- Lipolani house, 1930
- Agriculture and Forestry Building, 1930
- Honolulu Police StationMerchant Street Historic DistrictThe Merchant Street Historic District in Honolulu, Hawaii, was the city's earliest commercial center.-Location:Bounded roughly by Fort Street at the southeast end and Nuuanu Avenue at the northwest, its older, low-rise, brick and stone buildings, surrounded by contemporary, concrete high rises,...
, 1931 - Lihue Theatre (Kaua'i), October 4, 1931