Honolulu Hale (City Hall), Honolulu

The City Hall is the official seat of government for the City and County of Honolulu and houses the offices of the Mayor of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council. The idea for the City Hall began with mayor Joseph J. Fern. Originally, Honolulu was governed by a Board of Supervisors. During the existence of the County of Oahu, the board met in various buildings around Honolulu.

When the County of Oahu and the Board of Supervisors were dissolved in 1907 and the City and County of Honolulu was established, Fern became its first mayor and began making preliminary plans for the construction of a permanent city hall. Unfortunately, Fern died of diabetes in 1920 before he could convince residents of the need for such a building. Mayor John Wilson, who was also president of the Honolulu Chapter of the American Association of Engineers, carried on Fern’s dream.

Honolulu Hale was built in the Italianate Spanish Colonial Revival style, which was popular in the islands at the time. Its interior courtyard, staircase, and open ceiling were modeled after the Bargello in Florence. Einar Peterson was commissioned to paint frescoes in the interior, while Mario Valdastri was commissioned to install intricate stonework. In 1951, two three-story wings were added to the original structure.