Melchers Building, Honolulu

Melchers Building was constructed in 1854 at the end of King Kamehameha III's reign, which gives it the honor of being Honolulu's oldest commercial building. It is a Classical Revival-style building, which was designed by an architect whose name has been lost to history.

The building itself is built of white coral blocks, but the original masonry and details are hidden under layer upon layer of paint and stucco. Like other buildings from that time period, the Melchers Building is a very simple, two-story design, with little to no ornamentation. It was originally designed to be the headquarters for the firm of Gustav Melcher and Gustav Reiners, and was furnished with koa wood shelves and glass cabinetry. Later, in 1867, the business was handed over to the firm's clerk, F.A. Schaefer, who continued running it for many years afterward. After that, it was occupied by the Hawaii Dredging Company, and was expanded in 1937. In 1960, it was purchased by Honolulu to serve as a Prosecutor's Office.

Though the Melchers Building doesn't have much visual interest on its own, and is really only notable for being Honolulu's oldest commercial building, it is nonetheless of great interest to birding enthusiasts. The Melchers Building is considered the top location for bird watching in all of Hawaii.