Ewa Plantation manager’s home, then and now
iLind.net & Ian Lind
Meda and I entered graduate school at UH Manoa in the fall of 1969 after graduating from college on the mainland.
Several months later, we drove out to Ewa one day to see the plantation manager’s home, where her great-grandfather, George F. Renton, Sr., and later his son, George Jr., served as managers from 1898 through 1937.
Meda’s grandfather, J. Lewis Renton, would have been about 9 years old when the family moved to Ewa.
I remember our little excursion to Ewa quite vividly because our Dodge Dart hit 100,000 miles and the odometer turned to “000000″ when we arrived the corner of Renton Road and Renton Place, a definite chicken skin moment.
At that time, it was still quite a stately home, the house and grounds looking relatively well maintained.
More photos from that long-ago visit, including the odometer turning over:
So it was with great sadness that I received a photo this week from John Bond showing the current condition of the same house.
To orient yourself, note that the double doors shown in this photo are visible under the porte cochere in the middle photo (above).
Another opportunity to conserve a bit of island history in the middle of what has become suburban sprawl has been lost.
What a shame.
