Mabel Smyth Memorial Building

The Mabel Smyth Memorial Building is a historic building in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was designed by Charles W. Dickey in 1937 and built in 1941.[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 3, 1994.[3]

Mabel Smyth Memorial Building
Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Division Historic Site
The Mabel Smyth Memorial Building as photographed in 2009
Mabel Smyth Memorial Building is located in Hawaii
Mabel Smyth Memorial Building
Location501 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, Hawaii
Coordinates21°18′25″N 157°51′19″W
Area0.7 acres (0.28 ha)
Built1941 (1941)
ArchitectCharles W. Dickey
Architectural styleArt Deco, Hawaiian Style
NRHP reference No.93001558[1]
HAWAIʻI SHPD No.80-14-9765
Designated NRHPFebruary 3, 1994

Background

In 1937, Mabel Leilani Smyth died suddenly after serving as the superintendent of the Territory of Hawaii Public Nursing Service for eight years. In response to Smyth's death, a fund drive raised about $100,000 (the equivalent of $1,800,231 in 2022) with the intent of creating a memorial, and local architect Charles W. Dickey submitted plans for what would become the Mabel Smyth Memorial Building.[3]

Architecture
The main entrance to the Mabel Smyth Memorial Building
Detail of 'ape leaf design outside the main entrance

The building has an L-shaped structure with two stories, made of concrete, and with a tiled hip roof. A stairway from the parking lot up to the main entrance features a railing with an 'ape leaf design, and the same motif is repeated above the door in a panel that also includes a caduceus, as well as in smaller panels below the second story windows.[3] The massing of the building is simple, and double doors on the second floor are carved with a torch ginger design. A renovation in 2000 led to major alterations of the building's interior design.[4]

Construction

In January 1940, a site was chosen for the building on the grounds of Queen's Hospital, oriented diagonally toward the intersection of Punchbowl and Beretania Streets. Although a different site for the building had been purchased for $15,000 in March 1937 ($305,347 in 2022), it was not used.[5]

Use

The building was dedicated on January 4, 1941, with an opening ceremony that involved Hawaiian chants and music. Plans were made almost immediately to provide a refresher training for nurses, which included a variety of demonstrations and lectures. In April 1941, a registered nurse at Queen's Hospital described the newly opened building as "the headquarters for Hawaii's professional nursing and medical organizations". It housed offices for various local nurses' associations, the Board of Registration of Nurses, and the Hawaii Territorial Medical Association and Honolulu County Medical Society. Additional amenities included a medical library and an auditorium with air conditioning.[6]

Designations

The Mabel Smyth Memorial Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 3, 1994.[3] It is also a Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) Historic Site with Historic Site Number 80-14-9765.[2]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. "Mabel Smyth Memorial Building". Historic Hawaii Foundation. February 19, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  3. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Smyth, Mabel, Memorial Building". National Park Service. Retrieved September 4, 2021. With accompanying pictures
  4. Hibbard, Don J. (2018-07-16). "Mabel Smyth Memorial Building". Archipedia. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
  5. Reference card from State of Hawaii Department of Accounting and General Services. Accessed September 15, 2021.
  6. Kerr, Charlotte (1941). "A Successful Refresher Course". The American Journal of Nursing. 41 (4): 387–389. doi:10.2307/3415414. ISSN 0002-936X. JSTOR 3415414 – via JSTOR.
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