W. H. Shipman House
Encyclopedia
W. H. Shipman House is a historic home used by William Herbert Shipman
. It is located at 141 Kaiulani Street, named for Princess Kaiulani, the last crown princess of the Kingdom and Liliuokalani's niece.
In 1856 King Kamehameha IV
leased an area known as Kolo iki to William Reed for cattle pasture. In 1861 Reed purchased the 26 acres (10.5 ha) and it came to be known as "Reed's Island". It is not really an island, but the area between a current and ancient channel of the Wailuku River
.
J. R. "Jack" Wilson owned Volcano Stables, a horse rental business at the current site of the historic Volcano Block Building
in Hilo. In 1899 after an iron bridge was completed, Wilson bought a 8 acres (3.2 ha) lot with a view on Reed's island and built a large house in the Victorian architecture
style. It was designed by Honolulu architect Henry Livingston Kerr, and constructed with indoor plumbing and electricity. In addition to the main house placed prominently on a hill the estate includes a guest house, servants' quarters, gardens, and a garage. An unusual feature is the two-story round tower with conical roof, circular veranda, and large curved panes of glass.
In February 1901 William Shipman bought the house to entertain guests in the growing city of Hilo.
Deposed Queen Liliuokalani would play her compositions at the grand piano when she was visiting.
Author Jack London
and his wife stayed at this house for five weeks in August and September 1907, while his boat The Snark was being repaired. London's book The Cruise of the Snark
(1911) is based on this journey.
In the early 1930s, Cecil B. DeMille
filmed Four Frightened People
in the gulch below the house, as well as on the Shipman land in Puna. In 1939 artist Georgia O'Keeffe
stayed and was shown various sites that appeared in her paintings.
The Hilo house was listed on the state register of historic places on December 5, 1973 as site 10-35-7405, and the National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii
on June 23, 1978 as site 78001013.
Barbara-Ann Anderson (daughter of Roy Shipman Blackshear, a great-grand-daughter of W. H. Shipman) restored the house and opened it in 1997 as a bed and breakfast
hotel.
William Herbert Shipman
William Herbert Shipman was a wealthy businessman on the island of Hawaii. One estate of his family was used to preserve an endangered species of Hawaiian Goose. A historic house associated with his family for over a hundred years is called the W. H. Shipman House in Hilo, Hawaii...
. It is located at 141 Kaiulani Street, named for Princess Kaiulani, the last crown princess of the Kingdom and Liliuokalani's niece.
In 1856 King Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV, born Alexander Iolani Liholiho Keawenui , reigned as the fourth king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from January 11, 1855 to November 30, 1863.-Early life:...
leased an area known as Kolo iki to William Reed for cattle pasture. In 1861 Reed purchased the 26 acres (10.5 ha) and it came to be known as "Reed's Island". It is not really an island, but the area between a current and ancient channel of the Wailuku River
Wailuku River
The Wailuku River is a water course on the Island of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is the longest river in Hawai'i and its course lies mostly along the divide between the lava flows of Mauna Kea and those of Mauna Loa to the south. It arises at about the elevation along the eastern slope of...
.
J. R. "Jack" Wilson owned Volcano Stables, a horse rental business at the current site of the historic Volcano Block Building
Volcano Block Building
-History:Completed in 1914, this two story commercial building of reinforced concrete in the Italian Renaissance style is representative of the major structures built in Hilo between 1910 and 1915 as the city grew to be the second largest commercial center in the Hawaiian Islands.Measuring...
in Hilo. In 1899 after an iron bridge was completed, Wilson bought a 8 acres (3.2 ha) lot with a view on Reed's island and built a large house in the Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style. It was designed by Honolulu architect Henry Livingston Kerr, and constructed with indoor plumbing and electricity. In addition to the main house placed prominently on a hill the estate includes a guest house, servants' quarters, gardens, and a garage. An unusual feature is the two-story round tower with conical roof, circular veranda, and large curved panes of glass.
In February 1901 William Shipman bought the house to entertain guests in the growing city of Hilo.
Deposed Queen Liliuokalani would play her compositions at the grand piano when she was visiting.
Author Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
and his wife stayed at this house for five weeks in August and September 1907, while his boat The Snark was being repaired. London's book The Cruise of the Snark
The Cruise of the Snark
The Cruise of the Snark is a non-fictional, illustrated book by Jack London chronicling his sailing adventure in 1907 across the south Pacific in his ketch the Snark. Accompanying London on this voyage was his wife Charmian and a small crew...
(1911) is based on this journey.
In the early 1930s, Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
filmed Four Frightened People
Four Frightened People
Four Frightened People is a film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, released by Paramount Pictures, and starring Claudette Colbert, Herbert Marshall, Mary Boland, and William Gargan.-Plot:...
in the gulch below the house, as well as on the Shipman land in Puna. In 1939 artist Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe was an American artist.Born near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O'Keeffe first came to the attention of the New York art community in 1916, several decades before women had gained access to art training in America’s colleges and universities, and before any of its women artists...
stayed and was shown various sites that appeared in her paintings.
The Hilo house was listed on the state register of historic places on December 5, 1973 as site 10-35-7405, and the National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii
National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii
This is a list of properties and districts on the island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The island is coterminous with Hawaii County, the state's only county that covers exactly one island...
on June 23, 1978 as site 78001013.
Barbara-Ann Anderson (daughter of Roy Shipman Blackshear, a great-grand-daughter of W. H. Shipman) restored the house and opened it in 1997 as a bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
hotel.