Hale Ohia:
Volcano’s Enchanted Road to Old Hawaiÿi By Sara Stover
Less than two miles outside the entrance to
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, in the heart of the small artists’ community of Volcano Village, is the Hale Ohia tract. Hidden by a thick grove of ‘ōhi‘a and Sugi pine trees, one might easily drive right past the historic neighborhood. Although the highway now divides the rural street and a few newer houses have been constructed at the end, historic charm still fills the air. For hundreds of years, Kīlauea’s eruptions have been magnificent, yet relatively safe, drawing visitors and residents to the town of Volcano in growing numbers. At an elevation of 3,750 feet, Volcano Village’s cooler climate has long attracted those looking to escape the summer heat for more than a century. Other DLNR-recognized historic houses were constructed on Hale Ohia Road, intended to be modest retreats for managers from plantations such as the Ka‘u Sugar Company. In 1846, a grass structure was built in the national park to serve as its hotel. By 1877, a more “modern” building was erected, the present-day Volcano Art Center. Known as the Volcano House at the time, it could better accommodate the increase in visitors including Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson, with many spilling over into Volcano Village. Between 1920 and 1930, Hawai‘i’s economy boomed and the majority of the Hale Ohia Road homes were built. Today, the variety of architectural examples in this small neighborhood is impressive. After a day spent exploring the park, lodgers can cozy up in front of the fire in a quaint Craftsman bungalow, a bright summer cottage, or even a rustic log cabin. Recently we had the chance to visit a few of the most historic of these homes.
KeOlaMagazine.com | March - April 2021
Mr. Terry’s Log Cabin Moss-covered ground surrounds Hale Ohia Road’s enchanted log cabin, and despite amenities like WiFi and TV, the home’s historic characteristics remain intact. In 1901, William S. Terry, headmaster of the Hilo Boys Club, began building the house for his wife as a honeymoon cabin. Mr. Terry would travel from Hilo to Volcano on the weekends, and when the local paniolos (cowboys) heard what he was building, they decided to join in and help him. “That’s the reason why Mr. Terry gave the paniolos kuleana to use the cabin when they were passing through on the way to South Point with their cattle,” says cabin owner Cynthia Rubinstein. The home is one of two true log cabins known to exist in the state of Hawai‘i (the other is on state forestry property). At first glance, the notched ‘ōhi‘a log cabin’s only unique 28 attributes are its island location and its atypical two stories.
Upon closer examination, however, it’s clear that the home has 119 years’ worth of unusual stories. Inside, raw hewn wood beams and columns are exposed, and the winding staircase is accentuated by railings of naturally-shaped ‘ōhi‘a. “Those are Terry’s carvings on that ‘ōhi‘a log next to the fireplace,” explains Cynthia. “The ship and the palm trees illustrate his journey from the East Coast to Hawai‘i.”
Mr. Terry’s Log Cabin. photo courtesy of Lorna Larsen-Jeyte Hidden in the cabin’s logs are secrets that can only be uncovered in person. photo by Sara Stover