Koehnen Building - Hilo, Hawaii Island, HI
Posted by: 
denben
N 19° 43.601 W 155° 05.214
5Q E 281287 N 2182581
"End of an era for Koehnen’s" is the title of an article written by Hunter Bishop on October 9, 2012 in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Waymark Code: WMR3Z3
Location: Hawaii, United States
Date Posted: 05/09/2016
Views: 1
"This lovely historic structure was originally built for the Hackfeld Company in 1910, with interior walls of koa and floors of `ohi`a (native woods). The Koehnens bought the building in 1957 and operated a store there for many years selling fine furnishings. Today the building houses the National Oceanographic Institute’s Mokupapapa Discovery Center, created to interpret the natural science, culture, and history of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and surrounding marine environment." (
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Abstract of the article:
"A retail store with a long history in downtown Hilo will be shutting its doors in December. Koehnen’s Interiors, in business for 83 years, has announced it will close on Dec. 15.
The family-owned business is operating under its third generation, but there aren’t enough family members left to operate it, said 88-year-old company president Fred. J. Koehnen.
“We’re closing now not because we have to, but because it’s an appropriate time.” he said Monday. “We ran out of family to take over.”
The family put the business and building up for sale five years ago but nothing came to fruition, Koehnen said. One problem with the building is its location in a tsunami inundation zone, which makes it difficult to secure bank loans. The 1960 tsunami “busted in the front doors and left three-and-a-half feet of standing water in the building,” Franks said.
The building was purchased from Amfac in 1955 after the Big Five company relocated and consolidated its headquarters following the 1946 tsunami.
Koehnen’s Interior stores opened twice in Kona, but each time they were closed due to economic downturns, most recently in 2009.
There are no regrets. “We have accomplished everything we set out to do through hard times and really great times,” said Franks. “We can be proud of what we have done.”