Judd Building, Honolulu

The site of the Judd Building was purchased in 1861 by Dr. Gerrit P. Judd, a Protestant missionary, and his wife. Judd was a close adviser to King Kamehameha III and a government minister in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He also played an important role in the creation of Hawaii’s constitution and helped Hawaii regain its sovereignty in 1843. After Judd’s death in 1873, the property was bequeathed to his son, Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Albert F. Judd.

The Judd Building was completed in 1898 and was one of the first commercial rental spaces in Hawaii, as well as the first Hawaiian building to contain a passenger elevator. It was the first home of the Bank of Hawaii, which later became part of First Federal Savings and Loan in 1950.

The building itself was designed by architect Oliver G. Traphagen. The Judd Building is a four-story brick edifice built in the Renaissance Revival style, with a coral-rock foundation. After its completion, Traphagen went on to design several other well-known Hawaiian buildings, including the Moana Hotel and the Lewers & Cooke Building.