Lanikai History

Historic 1925 photograph of the Lanikai Monument at Alala Point, Oahu, with the Mokulua Islands offshore and early Lanikai development nearby.

THE LANIKAI MONUMENT: A HART WOOD LANDMARK & GATEWAY TO A NEW COMMUNITY

Historic photograph dated March 30, 1925, showing the Lanikai Monument at Alāla Point on Oʻahu shortly after the beginning of residential development in Kaʻōhao, the area marketed as Lanikai. Developer Charles R. Frazier commissioned the monument as a prominent entrance marker for the new subdivision, and Hawaiʻi architect Hart Wood is credited with its design. The photograph shows the monument’s original lighthouse-inspired form, heavy decorative chains, early roadway, sparse coastal development, and the Mokulua Islands offshore. National Register documentation dates the monument's completion to 1924, and this 1925 photograph confirms it was standing by early 1925.

Standing at Alāla Point at the entrance to Lanikai, the distinctive stone monument is one of the community’s most recognizable historic landmarks. Created during the first years of the Lanikai subdivision in the mid-1920s, it marked the boundary and entrance to a new residential and vacation community that included beach homes, a country club, and a golf course.

The design is attributed to celebrated Hawaiʻi architect Hart Wood, one of the most influential architects working in the Islands during the first half of the 20th century. Wood became known for developing an architectural style uniquely suited to Hawaiʻi, incorporating local materials, broad lanais, natural ventilation, deep roof overhangs, and forms influenced by Hawaiʻi’s climate and landscape. His work helped shape what became known as Hawaiian Regional architecture.

For Lanikai, Wood created a monument resembling a small lighthouse. Despite its appearance, it never functioned as a navigational light. Instead, it served as a dramatic gateway marker announcing the entrance to the newly developing seaside community. Its rough stone construction, metal “LANIKAI” plaque, pointed cap, and heavy nautical chains gave the structure a distinctive maritime character.

Hart Wood (1880-1957), often referred to as the “dean of Hawaii architects,” was a principal driver of an architecture that accounted for Hawaii as a specific environment with a unique culture.

Wood was born in Philadelphia and began his architecture career as a draftsman in Denver; in 1902 he moved to California. In 1911 he became a licensed architect. During World War I, architecture work declined sharply, and Wood worked in a shipyard to make ends meet. Before coming to Hawaii, he worked with Bernard Maybeck in Berkeley

He came to Honolulu in 1919 to begin a partnership with architect Charles Dickey, whom he had known in California. Their dedication to a Hawaiian regional style produced landmark buildings such as Honolulu Hale (1928) and the Alexander and Baldwin Building (1929), both still in use today and still helping to define local architecture. The partnership dissolved in 1928, and Hart continued in a solo practice. During the Depression, he also designed buildings for sugar plantations.

His admiration for Asian objects and buildings influenced his designs, as seen in the Chinese Christian Church in Honolulu, Spalding House (1925), the Gump building in Waikiki, and the Board of Water Supply’s administration building. Other significant buildings Wood designed include the First Church of Christ Scientist (1923), the bandstand in Kapiolani Park, and several Board of Water Supply pump houses that won awards.

He was one of the three founders of the Honolulu Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (1926), and the only one of its fourteen charter members elected a Fellow of the AIA (1948). He served as Territorial architect during World War II.

Hart died in Honolulu in 1957 at age 76.

Historic photographs show the monument standing against an almost completely undeveloped landscape, with primitive roads, only a few early cottages, and the Mokulua Islands offshore. The contrast with modern Lanikai is remarkable.

Today, the Lanikai Monument is recognized as historically significant not only for its role in the development of the community, but also because of its association with Hart Wood and the architectural history of Hawaiʻi.

Lanikai History: From Kaʻōhao to Lanikai

The neighborhood known today as Lanikai, on the windward coast of Oʻahu in Kailua, has a history that reaches far beyond the residential community and famous beach visitors see today. Long before the name Lanikai appeared on maps and real-estate advertisements, this area was known as Kaʻōhao, a traditional Hawaiian place name associated with the land, shoreline, and stories of this part of Kailua.Today, Lanikai is known around the world for its turquoise water, white-sand shoreline, and views of the Mokulua Islands. But its transformation into a residential beach community largely began only about a century ago.

WATERMELONS, TURKEY FARMS & WINDMILLS

Before Lanikai became a residential beach community, the area traditionally known as Kaʻōhao looked dramatically different from the neighborhood we know today.

In the early 20th century, much of the coastal plain was open, windswept and largely treeless. Fresh water was scarce. Before 1920 there was no potable water system serving the area, so farmers relied on windmills to pump brackish groundwater from beneath the sandy plain. Despite the difficult conditions, the land supported agricultural activity, including watermelon farming and turkey raising.

Watermelons became particularly associated with early Kaʻōhao. Contemporary historical accounts describe Japanese immigrant farmers cultivating watermelon fields across land that would later become some of Lanikai's residential streets and homes. The sandy soil, warm climate and pumped groundwater provided conditions in which melons could be grown successfully.

Turkeys were also raised in the area, another reminder that early Lanikai was not originally the landscaped residential community seen today. Agricultural fields, livestock, windmills and open land dominated portions of the landscape long before paved roads and beachfront estates appeared.

WHEN LANIKAI BECAME A ONE-WAY LOOP

For many years, ʻAʻalapapa Drive and Mokulua Drive carried two-way traffic through Lanikai. That changed on July 1, 1972, when the Lanikai Bikeway officially opened and the two main roads were converted into the one-way loop that still defines traffic through the neighborhood today. The City’s current Lanikai Transportation Management Plan identifies it as the first one-way traffic loop and bikeway of its kind on Oʻahu.

The change was driven primarily by bicycle safety, particularly the safety of children growing up in Lanikai.

A young Lanikai student had a near-fatal accident after her bicycle struck a rock and she fell into the roadway. At the time, the neighborhood’s narrow streets still carried vehicles in both directions, leaving relatively little safe space for the large number of children riding bicycles. The accident became a catalyst for residents to push for a dedicated bikeway and a different traffic pattern.

A CHANGE THAT TRANSFORMED LANIKAI

For people who only know modern Lanikai, it can be difficult to imagine two automobiles approaching each other on Mokulua or ʻAʻalapapa Drive.

But before 1972, that was normal.

FROM TWO-WAY STREETS TO THE LANIKAI LOOP "See you on the Loop"

The change to one-way traffic was therefore not simply a traffic-management decision. It permanently changed how people moved through the neighborhood and helped establish bicycles as an important part of everyday transportation in Lanikai.

The familiar loop that residents and visitors follow today is essentially the result of a community safety campaign begun by local parents more than fifty years ago.

The Original Name: Kaʻōhao

Kaʻōhao is the historic Hawaiian name associated with the area now commonly called Lanikai. The name is generally translated as “the tying” or “to tie together.” Hawaiian moʻolelo connects the name with an episode involving a game of kōnane and two women who were tied together and led toward canoes before ultimately being released.Historic cultural research also shows that the modern Lanikai neighborhood incorporates more than one traditional place. Kaʻōhao extended from the vicinity of Alāla Point toward Kaʻiwa Ridge, while the area farther toward Wailea Point was associated with Mokulua, named in connection with the two offshore islands, Nā Mokulua. For visitors today, understanding the name Kaʻōhao adds an important layer to the history of Lanikai: this was a named and culturally significant Hawaiian landscape long before modern subdivision development.

How Lanikai Got Its Name

The name Lanikai is comparatively recent. In 1924, developer Charles R. Frazier and associates acquired roughly 300 acres in the area and began developing a residential subdivision. The new community was marketed under the name Lanikai, a name intended to evoke the idea of a “heavenly sea” or “sea of heaven. ”There is an important linguistic distinction, however. Hawaiian-language sources note that Lanikai does not follow traditional Hawaiian word order for that phrase. The traditional place name for much of the area is Kaʻōhao, which predates the subdivision name by generations. Over the following decades, the name Lanikai became firmly established and is now recognized internationally as the name of both the neighborhood and its beach.

Lanikai Before the Residential Community

Modern residential Lanikai began taking shape in the 1920s. Development accelerated around 1924, when land in the area was subdivided into residential lots. Early offerings included fee-simple beach lots, and deed restrictions were used to preserve a low-density residential character. Development initially progressed from the northern end of the neighborhood and gradually extended farther south along the coastline. Better road access, the bridge across Kaʻelepulu Stream, and improved water infrastructure helped transform what had been relatively isolated coastal land into a residential beach community.The nearby Mid-Pacific Country Club also became part of this period of development, further shaping the character of the surrounding area.

Early Lanikai included relatively modest beach houses as well as larger residences. Some were built primarily as seasonal or weekend retreats rather than full-time homes.After World War II, Lanikai increasingly evolved from a beach-home destination into a year-round residential community. As more families made Lanikai their permanent home, the neighborhood gradually took on the residential character it still has today. Lanikai also experienced major natural events during this period. The April 1, 1946 tsunami affected homes in Lanikai and elsewhere around Hawaiʻi, becoming part of the history of a community built immediately along the ocean.

Lanikai Beach Houses and the Postwar Era

Historic black-and-white photograph of early Lanikai, Oahu, showing the Mokulua Islands, two period automobiles, early structures, open coastal land, and sparse development.

Nā Mokulua: Lanikai’s Offshore Landmarks

Perhaps no feature is more closely associated with Lanikai than the two islands offshore, commonly called the Mokulua Islands or “the Mokes.”Their names are Mokulua Nui, the larger northern island, and Mokulua Iki, the smaller southern island. Together they form part of the Mokulua Islets Seabird Sanctuary and provide important nesting habitat for wedge-tailed shearwaters and other seabirds. The islands are more than a scenic backdrop. They are protected wildlife habitat, and access is regulated to help preserve nesting areas and sensitive coastal ecosystems.For generations, Nā Mokulua have also served as one of the defining landmarks of the Lanikai shoreline and remain central to the visual identity of the community today.

Lanikai Today

Modern Lanikai remains a distinctive residential community within Kailua, bordered by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the ridges above the neighborhood on the other. Its identity reflects several layers of history: the traditional Hawaiian places of Kaʻōhao and Mokulua, the agricultural landscape of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the creation of the Lanikai subdivision in the 1920s, the era of classic beach houses, and the postwar transition to a predominantly year-round residential neighborhood.For visitors, learning this history offers a different way to experience Lanikai. The beach and Nā Mokulua may be what first draw the eye, but the landscape has names, stories, and cultural meaning that long predate the modern community.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lanikai History

What was Lanikai originally called?
The traditional Hawaiian name most closely associated with the area is Kaʻōhao, generally translated as “the tying” or “to tie together.” Parts of the area now called Lanikai were also historically associated with Mokulua.

When was Lanikai developed?
The modern residential community began taking shape in the 1920s, with major subdivision development beginning around 1924.

Does Lanikai mean “heavenly sea”?
That was the meaning the developers intended to convey, but Hawaiian-language sources note that Lanikai does not follow traditional Hawaiian word order for that phrase. Kaʻōhao is the older Hawaiian place name associated with much of the area.

Is Lanikai part of Kailua?
Yes. Lanikai is a residential neighborhood within the greater Kailua area on the windward side of Oʻahu.
What are the two islands off Lanikai Beach?
They are Mokulua Nui and Mokulua Iki, collectively known as Nā Mokulua. They are protected wildlife habitat and are among the most recognizable landmarks along the Lanikai shoreline.

Historic black-and-white view of early Lanikai, Oahu, from the Waimanalo side, showing sparse homes, early roads, open coastal land, and the Koolau foothills.

SOURCES & HISTORICAL REFERENCES

The historical information presented on this page was compiled from archival records, government documents, historic-property nominations, local historical organizations, maps, photographs, and published historical research. The following resources provide additional information for readers interested in exploring the history of Lanikai and Kaʻōhao in greater depth.

Additional historical reference: Elspeth P. Sterling and Catherine C. Summers, Sites of Oahu, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, 1978.