Joseph W. Podmore Building, Honolulu

Joseph W. Podmore Building, Honolulu

The Joseph W. Podmore Building, located at the intersection of Merchant and Alakea streets in Honolulu, was constructed in 1902 by Joseph W. Podmore, an English sailor who conducted business in Honolulu during the early 1900s. Mr. Podmore's purpose for building this structure was to lease it for both retail and office purposes. Initially, it housed a tailor and a decorator on the ground floor, while the Mercantile Printing Company occupied the upstairs space.

In 1907, the property owner, Peter Cushman Jones, generously donated the land and the building to the local Board of Missions, which used it as their headquarters until the Mission Memorial Building was constructed in 1916. The print shop upstairs played host to the production of their monthly newspaper, The Friend. Notable occupants of the building over the years included the Honolulu Advertiser and the original Honolulu office of DHL Air Cargo.

Constructed primarily from locally quarried dark lava rock, the building adheres to a simple Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style. The sole arch in the design is located above the side entrance on Merchant Street, with the main entrance situated at the corner, concealed behind a stone column. The building's aesthetics are further enhanced by decorative features such as a stone balustrade along the roofline, lintels and sills made of lighter stone on the second-story windows, alternating bands of stone in two different sizes (8 and 16 inches), and noticeable reddish mortar lines.

This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 1983. At that time, the Bon-Bon Cafe was the primary tenant, and the structure was commonly known by this name.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Honolulu. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Joseph W. Podmore Building on Map

Sight Name: Joseph W. Podmore Building
Sight Location: Honolulu, USA (See walking tours in Honolulu)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Honolulu, Hawaii

Create Your Own Walk in Honolulu

Create Your Own Walk in Honolulu

Creating your own self-guided walk in Honolulu is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Waikiki Beach Walk

Waikiki Beach Walk

Once the playground of Hawaiian aristocracy stretching along the southern coast of the island of Oahu, Waikiki, or Waikiki Beach, today greets visitors from all walks of life and corners of the globe. This iconic beachfront area of Honolulu, famed for its long rolling ocean break ideal for boarding and surfing, is also home to public places, high-end resort hotels, and an abundance of luxury brand...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Pearl Harbor Walking Tour

Pearl Harbor Walking Tour

Pearl Harbor, a US deep-water naval base in Honolulu, made history in 1941 when it came under attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service prompting the United States to enter World War II. Since 1964, Pearl Harbor has been a National Historic Landmark, featuring a number of military objects and installations-turned-monuments.

The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is at the heart of this...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
Diamond Head Volcano Tour

Diamond Head Volcano Tour

Diamond Head Volcano, an iconic natural landmark, is perhaps one of the best-known attractions on the island of Oahu. While not a traditional volcano in the sense of actively erupting, Diamond Head is a dormant volcanic crater that offers a glimpse into the geological history of the Hawaiian Islands.

The volcano's rugged cone is seen from almost every part of the island. However, at its...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
Honolulu Downtown Walking Tour

Honolulu Downtown Walking Tour

Honolulu is the largest city in Hawaii and the state's capital. Visitors flock here to enjoy the pristine beaches, beautiful scenery and unique culture. There is much to see and do in Honolulu.

The first residents of Honolulu were probably settled during the 11th century. These Polynesian migrants are thought to have come from Tahiti. King Kamehameha I conquered Oahu and claimed the area...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip


16 Hawaiian Products To Bring Home from Honolulu

16 Hawaiian Products To Bring Home from Honolulu

Pineapples, surfing, flower garlands and colorful shirts are the most distinct things coming to mind in association with Hawaii. Still, when it's time to go leisurely-pleasurely in the remotest part of the United States, it is good to know what is there exactly worth picking up in Honolulu, as...